Leonardo da Vinci und die Macht der Neugier

What does “überflügelt” mean in German?

The clip asks: “Was fühlt ein Meister, wenn sein Schüler ihn überflügelt?” — what does a master feel when his student outshines him? The story goes that Leonardo’s teacher Verrocchio saw the angel his young pupil had painted, put down his brush, and never painted again. That is überflügeln: to spread your wings and fly right past the person who taught you. One German verb holds an image that English needs a whole phrase to say.

Spoken in the clip: “Was fühlt ein Meister, wenn sein Schüler ihn überflügelt?” — “What does a master feel when his student surpasses him?” The verb is überflügeln. Its two parts: über- means “over/above,” and Flügel means “wing.” So the word pictures someone rising on wings and passing the other person — to outshine, to leave behind, to surpass. A few plain examples: - “Bald überflügelte sie ihren Lehrer.” — Soon she surpassed her teacher. - “Die neue Firma überflügelte alle anderen.” — The new company outdid all the others. - “Er hat seinen Bruder im Sport überflügelt.” — He outshone his brother in sport. Usage notes: überflügeln is a bit formal and admiring — you usually hear it about real achievement, not small wins. It often describes someone passing the very person who taught or led them. In the past tense you may see “überflügelte” (as above) or “hat überflügelt.”