das  Heimweh

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈhaɪmveː/

😢 What does "das Heimweh" mean?

Das Heimweh describes the painful feeling of longing for one's home, family, or familiar places and people when one is far away. It's a deep, often melancholic feeling triggered by the absence from what is familiar.

It is a noun (*Substantiv*) of neuter gender (*sächlich*). The article is always das.

🚨 There are no other articles or meanings for "Heimweh". It's an unambiguous word.

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Das Heimweh

"Heimweh" is a noun, neuter gender (das), and is mostly used in the singular, either without an article or with the definite article "das". A plural form exists formally ("die Heimwehe"), but it's extremely rarely used in everyday language because it refers to an abstract feeling.

Declension Singular

Note: The Genitive and Dative forms ending in "-e" (Heimwehes, Heimwehe) are considered elevated or archaic.

Example Sentences

• Nach drei Monaten im Ausland bekam sie schreckliches Heimweh.
  (After three months abroad, she became terribly homesick.)
• Das Heimweh plagte ihn besonders an Feiertagen.
  (Homesickness plagued him especially on holidays.)
• Er versuchte, sein Heimweh mit Arbeit zu bekämpfen.
  (He tried to fight his homesickness with work.)
• Kann man an Heimweh leiden?
  (Can one suffer from homesickness?)

✈️ When to use Heimweh?

"Heimweh" is used to describe the specific feeling of longing for one's home. Typical situations include:

• Long trips or stays abroad (study, work, vacation)
• Moving to a new city or country
• Separation from family and friends
• Stays in a hospital or boarding school

It differs from general Sehnsucht (longing, yearning), which can refer to many things (people, situations, times). Heimweh is specifically related to the place and feeling of "home".

Common expressions are: "Heimweh haben" (to be homesick / to have homesickness), "Heimweh bekommen" (to become homesick), or "von Heimweh geplagt werden" (to be plagued by homesickness).

🧠 Mnemonics for Heimweh

Article Mnemonic (das)

Imagine das Kind (the child) is homesick. Children are often referred to neutrally ("das Kind") and get homesick easily. So: das Heimweh. Or think of "das Weh" (the ache/pain) associated with home – das Heim-Weh.

Meaning Mnemonic (Homesickness)

The word consists of "Heim" (home) and "Weh" (pain, ache, woe). So it literally describes the "home-pain" or the pain of not being at home.

↔️ Similar and Opposite Feelings

Potential Confusion

⚠️ Do not confuse with Heimarbeit (work from home) or Heimtücke (malice, treachery).

😂 A Little Joke

Deutsch:

Frage: Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Heimweh und Zahnschmerzen?

Antwort: Zahnschmerzen kann man ziehen lassen!

English Translation:

Question: What's the difference between homesickness (Heimweh) and a toothache?

Answer: You can have a toothache pulled!

✒️ Poem about Heimweh

Deutsch:

In der Ferne, fremdes Land,
liegt das Herz oft schwer zur Hand.
Ein Gefühl, so tief, so rein,
nennt sich still das Heimweh fein.
Sehnsucht nach dem trauten Ort,
trägt die Gedanken fort und fort.
Ach, wie schön wär's jetzt daheim,
im vertrauten Sonnenschein.

English Translation:

Far away, in foreign land,
the heart often lies heavy at hand.
A feeling, so deep, so pure,
quietly calls itself sweet homesickness sure.
Longing for the cherished place,
carries thoughts on, pace by pace.
Ah, how lovely 'twould be home now,
'neath the familiar sunny bough.

❓ Little Riddle

Deutsch:

Ich bin ein Schmerz, doch keine Wunde,
komm oft in ferner Stund‘.
Ich ziehe dich zum alten Ort,
bin stärker als manch liebes Wort.
Ich wohne tief in deiner Brust,
entfacht durch Trennung und Verlust.

Was bin ich?

English Translation:

I am a pain, but not a wound,
I often come when far from ground
That's known to you. I pull you back
To places on a familiar track.
I'm stronger than a loving word,
Live deep inside, a feeling stirred
By separation and by loss.

What am I?

(Answer: das Heimweh / Homesickness)

💡 Other Interesting Facts

Word Composition

The word "Heimweh" is a compound word made up of:

• Heim: Old High German/Middle High German for home, dwelling place, homeland.
• Weh: Old High German/Middle High German for pain, ache, sorrow, woe.

So it literally means "home-pain" or "homeland-sorrow".

Cultural Notes

Homesickness (Heimweh) is a universal feeling described in many cultures and languages. It has a strong tradition in German culture and is often featured in literature and songs (e.g., during the Romantic period). Its counterpart, Fernweh (longing for faraway places), is also a well-known German concept.