German word

herum

Pronunciation

IPA/hɛˈʁʊm/

Meaning

  • adverbaround

Example

Die Kinder laufen im Garten herum.

The children are running around in the garden.

Illustration for herum (around)

More examples

Er blättert in der Zeitung herum.

He leafs through the newspaper.

Core concept

Someone wanders from place to place in an area, while separate objects are spread around rather than gathered in one spot.

Common phrases

  • herum blättern

    leaf through

  • herum treiben

    roam around

  • herum suchen

    search around

Similar words

umher: Wandering from place to place within an area.
hin und her: Moving back and forth repeatedly.
rundherum: Extending all around or completely surrounding something.

Definition in German

Wird verwendet, um auszudrücken, dass jemand oder etwas ohne bestimmtes Ziel an verschiedenen Stellen umher ist oder verteilt liegt.

Word origin

Herum developed from the combination of her, a direction toward the speaker, and um, which denotes surrounding space.

Usage tips

  • In compounds such as 'herumliegen' and 'herumstehen', herum can describe objects being scattered or people lingering without a clear activity.

Opposites

Related words

  • herumtreibenroam aroundverb
  • herumblätternleaf throughverb

Word lists with this word