die
Heimkehr
🏠 What does "die Heimkehr" mean?
Die Heimkehr (noun, feminine) describes the act of coming home or the return to one's home place (homecoming). It's often associated with emotions like joy, relief, or nostalgia, especially after a long absence, a journey, or a tiring day.
It is a compound word formed from "Heim" (home) and "Kehr" (from kehren, meaning to turn, in the sense of to return).
🚨 Because the word ends in "-kehr", similar to "die Umkehr" (the reversal) or "die Wiederkehr" (the return), it is feminine (female gender).
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Heimkehr
"Heimkehr" is a feminine noun. The plural form ("die Heimkehren") is used very rarely and sounds rather poetic or archaic.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Heimkehr |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Heimkehr |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Heimkehr |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Heimkehr |
Note: In most cases, "Heimkehr" is used in the singular.
Example Sentences
- Nach langer Reise war die Heimkehr eine große Erleichterung.
(After a long journey, the homecoming was a great relief.) - Wir feierten seine glückliche Heimkehr aus dem Ausland.
(We celebrated his happy return/homecoming from abroad.) - Die Freude auf die Heimkehr ließ die Strapazen vergessen.
(The anticipation of returning home made the hardships forgotten.) - Er sehnte sich nach der wohlverdienten Heimkehr nach einem langen Arbeitstag.
(He longed for the well-deserved return home after a long workday.)
💡 How to use "Heimkehr"?
"Heimkehr" is often used to emphasize the emotional experience of coming home, not just the physical act.
- After travel or absence: Die freudige Heimkehr nach dem Urlaub. (The joyful homecoming after the vacation.) Die schwierige Heimkehr des Soldaten. (The difficult return home of the soldier.)
- Everyday life: Die tägliche Heimkehr von der Arbeit. (The daily return home from work.)
- Symbolically/Literarily: Die Heimkehr zu sich selbst (the return to oneself), die Heimkehr zu alten Werten (the return to old values).
Difference to "Rückkehr": While "Rückkehr" (return) is more neutral and can describe any kind of coming back (e.g., Rückkehr ins Büro - return to the office), "Heimkehr" has a more specific and often more emotional meaning, referring to one's home or home place.
🧠 Mnemonics for Heimkehr
Article Mnemonic: Think of 'die' emotion - the joy, the relief associated with homecoming. Emotions in German often link to feminine nouns. So, it's die Heimkehr.
Meaning Mnemonic: Break it down: Heim (home) + Kehr (turn/return). Imagine someone 'turning back' towards 'home'. That's the essence of Heimkehr - the 'home-turn' or homecoming.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Die Rückkehr: More general, less emotional 'return'.
- Das Nachhausekommen: Very direct, often everyday 'coming home'.
- Die Wiederkehr: Similar to Rückkehr, often after a longer time; 'return', 'recurrence'.
- Das Heimkommen: Verbal noun form, very common for 'coming home'.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum freuen sich Schnecken besonders auf die Heimkehr?
(Why are snails particularly happy about homecoming?)
Weil sie ihr Haus immer dabei haben und trotzdem ewig brauchen! 😉
(Because they always have their house with them and still take forever!)
📜 Poem about Homecoming
Der Weg war weit, die Zeit verstrich,
Das Herz voll Sehnsucht, nur nach dich,
Oh Ort der Kindheit, trautes Haus,
Nun ist vollbracht der Reise Graus.
Die Heimkehr naht, die Tür geht auf,
Endlich daheim, im Lebenslauf.
(The way was long, time passed by,
The heart full of longing, only for you,
Oh place of childhood, beloved house,
Now the journey's dread is done.
The homecoming nears, the door opens wide,
Finally home, in the course of life.)
❓ Riddle
Ich bin das Ende einer Reise,
mal laut gefeiert, mal ganz leise.
Ich bring dich heim, an deinen Ort,
nach Tagen, Wochen, warst du fort.
Mal süß, mal bitter kann ich sein,
doch meistens stellt sich Freude ein.
Was bin ich?
(I am the end of a journey,
sometimes celebrated loudly, sometimes quietly.
I bring you home, to your place,
after days, weeks, you were away.
I can be sweet, sometimes bitter,
but mostly joy settles in.
What am I?)
(Answer: Die Heimkehr / Homecoming)
🌐 Other Information
Word Composition:
- Heim: Old High German/Middle High German for home, place of residence.
- Kehr: Derived from the verb "kehren" (to turn, turn back). The noun "Kehr" means turn or return.
Cultural Significance: The theme of Heimkehr (homecoming) is a central motif in literature (e.g., Homer's Odyssey), film, and music. It often symbolizes finding peace, security, and belonging.
Related Word: Das Heimweh - homesickness, the longing for home during absence (essentially the feeling that Heimkehr aims to end).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Heimkehr?
The German word "Heimkehr" is feminine. The correct article is die: die Heimkehr.