German Phrase
Der Fluss läuft über.
Meaning
The sentence tells that a river has exceeded its banks and is flowing over them – in other words, the river is flooding. It is a concise way to describe an overflow caused by heavy rain or melting snow.
When to use
Use this phrase in weather reports, news bulletins, or casual conversation when you want to point out that a river is currently overflowing. It works best when the situation is obvious or has just been observed.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DerFlussläuftüber.
Definite article (Der)
‘Der’ is the masculine nominative singular definite article, matching ‘Fluss’.
Noun gender (Fluss)
‘Fluss’ is a masculine noun; its nominative singular form is ‘der Fluss’.
Separable verb (überlaufen)
‘überlaufen’ means ‘to overflow’. In the present tense the prefix ‘über’ separates and moves to the end: ‘läuft über’.
Verb conjugation (läuft)
‘läuft’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of ‘laufen’ (to run/flow).
Punctuation
The period ends the statement; it is not part of the grammatical structure.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du das gesehen? Der Fluss läuft über.
Did you see that? The river is overflowing.
Ja, die Straße ist jetzt überflutet.
Yes, the road is flooded now.
✕Common Mistakes
Der Verkehr läuft über.
Do not use ‘läuft über’ with non‑water subjects; the verb ‘überlaufen’ only describes liquids overflowing.
Der Fluss überläuft.
The correct present‑tense form for ‘der Fluss’ is ‘läuft über’, not ‘überläuft’. The prefix must be placed at the end.
Der Fluss ist übergelaufen.
‘Ist übergelaufen’ is a past‑perfect construction and sounds unnatural for a current event. Use ‘läuft über’ for present situations.
↔Alternatives
Der Fluss überflutet das Ufer.
The river floods the bank.
Der Fluss ist über die Ufer getreten.
The river has burst its banks.
Der Fluss läuft über die Ufer.
The river runs over the banks.
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking countries, flooding is often discussed with the noun ‘Überschwemmung’. ‘Der Fluss läuft über’ is a colloquial, vivid way to describe a river that has just spilled over its banks. In formal reports you’ll more often see ‘Der Fluss hat über die Ufer getreten’ or ‘Es kommt zu einer Überschwemmung’. Remember that ‘überlaufen’ is only used for liquids; using it for abstract things (e.g., ‘Der Strom läuft über’) would be incorrect.