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heben

lift

verb HAY-ben Less Common

Origin: Old High German 'heffen'

Also means

raise

Usage Note

heben is a strong verb: heben, hob, gehoben. It underlies many separable verbs — aufheben ('pick up / keep'), abheben ('withdraw money / lift off'), anheben ('raise slightly') — so the prefix changes the meaning sharply.

Examples

"Er kann den Stein nicht heben."

Natural Translation

He can't lift the stone.

Literal Translation

He can the stone not lift.

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