sich verlassen
rely · rely on
fest daran glauben, dass jemand oder etwas zuverlässig ist und nicht enttäuscht.
The German phrase "sich verlassen" translates to "to rely on" or "to trust" in English. It uses the reflexive verb form "sich verlassen," where "verlassen" means "to leave" or "to abandon," but in this context, it conveys the idea of depending on someone or something.
Words with a similar meaning include "vertrauen" (to trust), "sich stützen auf" (to lean on/rely on), and "bauen auf" (to build on).
The main difference is that "sich verlassen" implies a more profound or emotional dependency, whereas "vertrauen" is more general and can refer to trust without the same emotional weight. The expressions "sich stützen auf" and "bauen auf" often suggest a foundational relationship where the support is more overt, whereas "sich verlassen" conveys a deeper expectation of reliability.
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Examples
Man kann sich auf gute Freunde verlassen.other
One can rely on good friends.
Viele Menschen verlassen sich in schwierigen Zeiten auf ihre Familie.other
Many people rely on their families in difficult times.
Viele Menschen verlassen sich gern auf ihre Familie.other
Many people like to rely on their family.
Auf diese ungenauen Angaben verließ er sich nicht.other
He did not rely on this inaccurate information.
Worauf habt ihr euch bei der Entscheidung verlassen?other
What did you rely on when making the decision?
Trotz Zweifel verließ sie sich auf ihr Gefühl.other
Despite doubts, she relied on her feeling.
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