German Conversation · Level 27
90 words
German word
Ferne
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈfɛʁnə/
Meaning
- feminine noundistance
Example
Aus der Ferne hört man die Glocken.
The bells can be heard in the distance.
More examples
Sie stand am Fenster und blickte in die Ferne.
She stood at the window and looked into the distance.
Core concept
A faraway expanse viewed from here, separated by space and often felt as distance.
Common phrases
in die Ferne ziehen
move to a distant place
in die Ferne blicken
look into the distance
in die Ferne schweifen
let one's thoughts wander into the distance
Similar words
Entfernung: The physical distance between two places or points.
Distanz: A psychological or social sense of separation between people or groups.
Abstand: A clear gap or interval between people or things.
Definition in German
Die Ferne bezeichnet abstrakt die Entfernung zu einem Ort oder das Gefühl von Abstand und tritt überwiegend ohne Plural auf.
Word origin
Ferne is formed from the Germanic adjective fern, meaning distant, through the older German process of turning an adjective into a feminine noun.
Usage tips
- For a plain everyday statement, weit weg is often more idiomatic than die Ferne, which can sound abstract or literary.
Other meanings
- faraway placenoun
- remote areanoun
Opposites
- Näheproximitynoun
Related words
- Fernwehwanderlustnoun
- Fernbeziehunglong-distance relationshipnoun
- Fernbedienungremote controlnoun