ab|treten
Translation
to assign, to cede, to resign, to step down
Examples
Er tritt seine Forderung an die Bank ab.
He assigns his claim to the bank.
Der Minister tritt von seinem Amt ab.
The minister is resigning from his office.
Bitte treten Sie die Schuhe vor der Tür ab.
Please wipe your shoes at the door.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to ((sb.)) to assign sth. to sb. He assigns his rights to his son.
from ((sth.)) to resign from sth. The coach is resigning from his post.
Similar Words
Synonyms: to hand over, to resign, to give up; Antonyms: to accept, to take over
Etymology
Made up of 'ab-' (away, down) and 'treten' (to step, to tread). The literal meaning is 'to step away' or 'to step down'.
Memory Tips
Picture a manager 'stepping away' (abtreten) from a project to let someone else take over. 'Ab-' signifies this separation.