German word

fern

Pronunciation

IPA/fɛʁn/

Meaning

  • adjectivefar

Example

Das ferne Dorf liegt im Tal.

The faraway village lies in the valley.

Illustration for fern (far)

More examples

Er träumt vom fernen Land.

He dreams of the distant land.

Core concept

A distant village appears small across a valley, while a distant time lies far back or ahead.

Common phrases

  • das ferne Land

    the distant land

  • ein ferner Ort

    a distant place

Similar words

weit: An everyday term for something situated a long way off.
weit weg: A conversational phrase that directly states that something is far away.

Definition in German

Bedeutet, dass etwas nicht nahe ist, sowohl räumlich als auch zeitlich.

Word origin

German fern is an inherited Germanic word related to English far, not a later borrowing.

Usage tips

  • Fern von takes the dative, as in fern von der Heimat, meaning far from home.

Other meanings

  • far awayadverb

Opposites

  • nahnearadjective

Related words

  • die Fernethe distancenoun
  • die Fernbeziehunglong-distance relationshipnoun

Word lists with this word