This is the 661st most frequent German word.
lief
"Lief" is not a standalone word in German; it is the third-person singular past tense form of the verb "laufen," which means "ran" or "walked."
In this sentence, 'lief' also comes from 'laufen' but is used metaphorically to describe the movement of water, showing that it overflowed.
Das Wasser lief über den Rand des Glases.
The water ran over the edge of the glass.
Here, 'lief' is part of the phrase 'lief nach Plan', and 'laufen' in this context metaphorically implies progress or development, meaning that everything happened as planned.
Es lief alles nach Plan.
Everything went according to plan.
Here, 'lief' is the past tense of the verb 'laufen', which means 'to run'. The sentence talks about a past action where someone ran to a store.