German word

quer

Pronunciation

IPA/kveːɐ̯/

Meaning

  • adverbacross

Example

Ich gehe quer durch den Park.

I walk across the park.

Illustration for quer (across)

More examples

Die Tram fährt quer über die Straße.

The tram travels diagonally across the street.

Core concept

A route crosses a space from one side to the other, often on a slant.

Common phrases

  • quer durch die Stadt

    diagonally across the city

  • quer über die Straße

    diagonally across the street

  • quer durchs Zimmer

    diagonally across the room

Similar words

seitwärts: Moving to the side while changing position.
schräg: Proceeding in an angled direction.
diagonal: Moving along the diagonal of a space.

Definition in German

seitlich oder schräg von einer Seite zur anderen über eine Fläche oder Strecke verlaufend; Adverb, häufig mit 'durch' kombiniert

Word origin

Quer comes through Middle High German twerch from Old High German twerh, an inherited Germanic form related to English thwart.

Usage tips

  • In quer durch den Park, durch takes the accusative, so den Park is correct rather than dem Park.

Other meanings

  • diagonallyadverb
  • diagonaladjective

Opposites

  • längslengthwiseadverb
  • geradeausstraight aheadadverb

Related words

  • querdenkenthink laterallyverb
  • Querverkehrcross trafficnoun
  • querfeldeincross-countryadverb

Word lists with this word