hergehen
to walk
To walk beside, behind, or ahead of someone or something, usually accompanying them.
EXAMPLE
Der kleine Hund ging die ganze Zeit hinter uns her.
The little dog walked behind us the whole time.
hergehen
to walk / unfold
hergehen – ging her – ist hergegangen
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Meanings
hergehen
to unfold
To happen or proceed; to take a particular course. This meaning is used impersonally with 'es' (it), as in 'wie es hergeht' (how things unfold) or 'es geht lebhaft her' (things are lively).
EXAMPLE
Niemand wusste, wie es bei den Verhandlungen hergehen würde.
Nobody knew how things would unfold during the negotiations.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry hergehen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | gehe her |
|---|---|
| du | gehst her |
| er/sie/es | geht her |
| wir | gehen her |
| ihr | geht her |
| sie | gehen her |
Simple past
| ich | ging her |
|---|---|
| du | gingst her |
| er/sie/es | ging her |
| wir | gingen her |
| ihr | gingt her |
| sie | gingen her |
Perfect
with sein
| ich | bin hergegangen |
|---|---|
| du | bist hergegangen |
| er/sie/es | ist hergegangen |
| wir | sind hergegangen |
| ihr | seid hergegangen |
| sie | sind hergegangen |
Commands
| du | geh her! gehe her! |
|---|---|
| ihr | geht her! |
| Sie | gehen Sie her! |
Past perfect
| ich | war hergegangen |
|---|---|
| du | warst hergegangen |
| er/sie/es | war hergegangen |
| wir | waren hergegangen |
| ihr | wart hergegangen |
| sie | waren hergegangen |
Future
| ich | werde hergehen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst hergehen |
| er/sie/es | wird hergehen |
| wir | werden hergehen |
| ihr | werdet hergehen |
| sie | werden hergehen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | gehe her |
|---|---|
| du | gehest her |
| er/sie/es | gehe her |
| wir | gehen her |
| ihr | gehet her |
| sie | gehen her |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | ginge her |
|---|---|
| du | gingest her |
| er/sie/es | ginge her |
| wir | gingen her |
| ihr | ginget her |
| sie | gingen her |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | hergehen |
|---|---|
| with zu | herzugehen |
| present participle | hergehend |
| past participle | hergegangen |
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Hergehen' (to walk / unfold) consists of 'her' (a directional prefix meaning toward here) and 'gehen' (to go) and is separable. In a main clause, 'her' is separated and placed at the end; in a subordinate clause, the verb stays together. In the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes between 'her' and 'gehen'.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Fest ging es lebhaft her.
Things were lively at the party.
Sie erzählte, dass es auf dem Fest lebhaft herging.
She said that things were lively at the party.
Auf dem Fest scheint es lebhaft herzugehen.
Things seem to be lively at the party.
Construction with 'es'
When 'hergehen' (to unfold) describes how a situation unfolds, it typically takes the subject 'es' (it). This 'es' is retained even when an expression of place or time comes at the beginning of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
In unserer Küche geht es morgens oft hektisch her.
Things are often hectic in our kitchen in the mornings.
Fixed expression
The expression 'es geht hoch her' (things get lively or heated) describes a particularly lively situation, often involving a lot of noise or strong emotions. It can be used for both celebrations and emotional discussions.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Sitzung ging es hoch her, weil niemand mit dem Vorschlag einverstanden war.
Things got heated at the meeting because nobody agreed with the proposal.
In real life
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