German word

nachfolgen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈnaːxˌfɔlgən/

Meaning

  • verbfollow

Example

Dem Sommer folgte der Herbst nach.

Autumn followed summer.

Illustration for nachfolgen (follow)

More examples

Viele Firmen beschlossen, dem Trend nachzufolgen.

Many companies decided to follow the trend.

Core concept

One thing moves in the wake of another, or appears as the next link in the same sequence.

Common phrases

  • dem Trend nachfolgen

    follow the trend

  • dem Team nachfolgen

    follow the team

Similar words

folgen: Staying immediately behind someone or something in motion.
hinterhergehen: Following a person on foot from behind.
mitgehen: Going along in the same direction as someone else.
begleiten: Staying with someone as a companion during an activity or journey.

Definition in German

körperlich hinter jemandem hergehen oder etwas unmittelbar darauf eintreten; jemandem (Dativ) nachfolgen

Word origin

Nachfolgen is a compound of nach ('after, behind') and folgen ('follow'), with the compound retaining both spatial and temporal senses.

Usage tips

  • The person or thing followed is normally in the dative, as in 'Er folgte seinem Bruder nach,' not with a direct accusative object.

Other meanings

  • succeedverb
  • trailverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word