der Besuch
visit
The act of going to see a person or place for a certain amount of time.
EXAMPLE
Wir planen am Wochenende einen Besuch bei meinen Eltern.
We're planning a visit to my parents this weekend.
der Besuch
visit / visitor
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Meanings
der Besuch
visitor / guests
The person or people who visit someone.
EXAMPLE
Der Besuch ist da, mach bitte die Tür auf!
The guests are here; please open the door!
der Besuch
visit / attendance
Participation in or attendance at an event, an institution, or a website.
EXAMPLE
Der Besuch der Ausstellung war in diesem Jahr kostenlos.
Attendance at the exhibition was free this year.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Besuch' (the visit/visitor) is the noun related to the verb 'besuchen' (to visit). It describes the act of visiting. If you know the verb, you can easily derive the meaning of the noun.
EXAMPLE
Wir besuchen morgen meine Tante. Der Besuch wird nicht lange dauern.
We're visiting my aunt tomorrow. The visit won't take long.
Context clue
The verb often tells you whether the action or the person is meant. 'Besuch haben' (to have visitors/guests) or 'Besuch bekommen' (to get visitors) usually refers to the person or people. 'Einen Besuch machen' (to make a visit) or 'ein Besuch bei jemandem' (a visit to someone) refers to the action.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben heute Abend Besuch.
We have guests this evening.
Typical collocations
'Besuch' (visit/visitor) is often used in fixed expressions with verbs. Common ones are 'zu Besuch sein/kommen' (to be visiting/to come for a visit), 'Besuch bekommen/haben' (to get visitors/to have visitors), and the somewhat more formal expression 'einen Besuch abstatten' (to pay a visit).
EXAMPLE
Meine Cousine aus Hamburg ist für eine Woche zu Besuch.
My cousin from Hamburg is visiting for a week.
Correct preposition
When you visit a person, you use the preposition 'bei', e.g. 'ein Besuch bei Freunden' (a visit to friends). When you visit a place or an event, you usually use 'in' or 'von', e.g. 'der Besuch im Museum' (the visit to the museum).
EXAMPLE
Der Besuch bei meiner Großmutter war sehr schön.
The visit to my grandmother was very nice.
Compare with
Besuch vs Gast
guest
Besuch and Gast can both refer to people who come to someone. Besuch refers to the visiting person or group more collectively, while Gast refers to an individual invited and entertained by the host. Use Besuch for the situation as a whole and Gast when you mean people individually.
Besuch
Am Wochenende habe ich Besuch, denn meine Schwester und zwei Freunde kommen.
I have visitors over the weekend because my sister and two friends are coming.
Gast
Am Wochenende sind meine Schwester und zwei Freunde meine Gäste.
Over the weekend, my sister and two friends are my guests.
In real life
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