lass es los
The English phrase "let it go" is translated into German as lass es los.
lass es los is used to describe the physical act of releasing a grip or stopping the act of holding onto something with your hands. It is not typically used for the metaphorical sense of letting go of an emotion or a grudge. In those cases, one would use lass es gut sein or lass es ruhen.
Which one should you use?
While lass es los refers to the physical act of releasing a grip, if you wish to tell someone to let go of a situation or a request, you should use Vergessen Sie es in a formal context or Vergiss es in an informal context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form lass es los uses the singular informal imperative, which is used when speaking to one person you know well. If you are addressing a group of people you know well, use the plural informal imperative Lasst es los. For formal situations, use Lassen Sie es los.
Did you know?
- While lass es los refers to physical grip, the German word los is also used as a command to start a race, similar to 'go'.
- The German word lass is actually a distant relative of the English word 'late'. Both share a common ancestral root in Proto-Germanic.
- The word los can also be used as a prefix in compounds to describe something that is detached or moving, such as in the word losgelöst.
Examples in context
- Lass es los, Tom!Let it go, Tom.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase lass es los.Tatoeba #2888525 by raggione, translation #2649126 by CK
- Lass es los, das ist zu schwer.Let it go, it is too heavy.
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are playing with a heavy balloon in the garden.
- FelixEs fliegt weg, lass es los!It is flying away, let it go!
- JuliaNein, ich will es nicht loslassen.No, I don't want to let it go.
- FelixLass es los, Julia, sonst ist es weg.Let it go, Julia, otherwise it is gone.
- JuliaOkay, ich lasse es jetzt los.Okay, I am letting it go now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, lass, los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
