Before you start
Meet herkommen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
her- + kommen
- her-
- toward the speaker or a reference point
- kommen
- to come
Kommen directed her brings someone toward the speaker or reference point.
So herkommen means to come here; to come over.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Verb family
More verbs built on kommen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- ankommento arrive
- vorkommento happen, occur, seem
- zurückkommento return
- hereinkommento come in
- herauskommento come out
- zukommento come towards, be in store
- aufkommento come up, arise, pay for
- entgegenkommento come to meet, accommodate
Separable verb: her·kommen
In a main clause the prefix her splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseKomm bitte schnell her.Please come here quickly.
Subordinate clauseSie freut sich, weil ihr Bruder heute herkommt.She is happy because her brother is coming here today.
Participle: hergekommenzu-infinitive: herzukommen
Forms
How herkommen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | komme her | kam her |
| du | kommst her | kamst her |
| er/sie/es | kommt her | kam her |
| wir | kommen her | kamen her |
| ihr | kommt her | kamt her |
| Sie | kommen her | kamen her |
Partizip II hergekommen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Kommst du heute her?Are you coming here today?present with separated prefix
- 2Er ist gestern spät hergekommen.He came here late yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich weiß, dass sie aus Berlin herkommt.I know that she comes from Berlin.verb at the end after dass
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
herkommen + der Nachbar
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Use der Nachbar as the subject.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
They came here yesterdaygestern.
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Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When he came here, I was aloneallein.
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Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She came here because she wanted to seesehen us.
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Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The mander Mann, die Männer who came here yesterdaygestern lives next doornebenan.
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Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Can you come here after workdie Arbeit?
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Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She came here to helphelfen me.
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Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Could you come here tomorrowmorgen?
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Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
herkommen + die Schwester + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Use die Schwester as the subject.
- 2Include an obwohl-clause.
- 3Put the verb at the end of that clause.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
Who would you like to come here? Answer in one German sentence using the verb.
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one German sentence using the verb.
- 2Say who you would like to come here.