herein
in / come in
Expresses movement from outside to inside. It is often used on its own as an invitation to enter.
EXAMPLE
Als es klopfte, rief er laut: „Herein!“
When there was a knock, he called loudly, 'Come in!'
herein
in / come in
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Meanings
Usage tips
Structure of the adverb
The word consists of 'her' and 'ein'. The syllable 'her' signals movement toward the speaker. 'Herein' therefore means 'into the room where I am'.
EXAMPLE
Komm bitte herein und schließ die Tür.
Please come in and close the door.
Part of separable verbs
'Herein' often functions as a separable prefix for verbs that describe movement. Examples include 'hereinkommen' (to come in), 'hereinbitten' (to invite in), 'hereinlassen' (to let in), or 'hereinschauen' (to look in / drop by).
EXAMPLE
Der Schneesturm war so stark, dass Schnee zur Tür hereinkam.
The snowstorm was so strong that snow came in through the door.
Colloquial short form
In spoken language, 'herein' is almost always shortened to 'rein'. 'Komm rein!' (Come in!) is much more common and natural than 'Komm herein!'
EXAMPLE
Es regnet! Kommt schnell rein!
It's raining! Come in quickly!
Compare with
herein vs rein
pure / in
As invitations to enter, „rein“ and „herein“ describe the same movement inward. „Rein“ is colloquial and can also refer to movement away from the speaker. „Herein“ marks movement indoors more clearly and sounds less colloquial.
herein
Komm herein, die Tür ist offen!
Come in, the door is open!
rein
Komm rein, die Tür ist offen!
Come in, the door is open!
In real life
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