German word

Sehnsucht

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈzeːnˌzʊxt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlonging

Example

Ich empfinde eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach meiner Heimat.

I feel a deep longing for my homeland.

Illustration for Sehnsucht (longing)

More examples

Er sprach über seine Pläne, doch begleitete ihn eine leise Sehnsucht nach dem Vertrauten.

He spoke about his plans, but a quiet longing for the familiar accompanied him.

Core concept

A painful inner pull draws someone toward an absent person, home, or hoped-for future.

Common phrases

  • unerfüllte Sehnsucht

    unfulfilled longing

  • Sehnsucht nach Veränderung

    longing for change

Similar words

Heimweh: A painful longing for home or family while living far away.
Fernweh: A powerful desire to travel to distant or unfamiliar places.
Verlangen: An urgent desire to obtain a particular thing or reach a particular state.
Nostalgie: A wistful longing for a past time or experience to return.

Definition in German

Ein tiefes, oft schmerzvolles Verlangen nach etwas Fernem oder Vergangenem.

Word origin

The word is historically recorded in Middle High German and combines the stem of sehnen with Sucht, which once referred to an intense consuming condition.

Usage tips

  • Sehnsucht is broader than English homesickness and can concern the past, the future, a place, or something never attained.

Other meanings

  • wistfulnessnoun
  • yearningnoun
  • cravingnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • sehnsüchtigyearningadjective

Word lists with this word