herkommen
to come here
To move from another place to the speaker's location or to a specified destination.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte mal kurz herkommen? Ich brauche deine Hilfe.
Can you come here for a moment, please? I need your help.
herkommen
to come here / come from
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
herkommen
to come from
To originate from a particular place, family, or social class; to have one's origin somewhere.
EXAMPLE
Sie kommt aus einer kleinen Stadt in Bayern.
She comes from a small town in Bavaria.
herkommen
to come from
To be caused by something or to stem from something. Often used in the question 'Woher kommt das?' (Where does that come from?).
EXAMPLE
Woher kommt nur dieser seltsame Geruch in der Küche?
Where is this strange smell in the kitchen coming from?
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Herkommen' (to come here) is a separable verb with the prefix 'her-'. In a main clause, the prefix goes at the end. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu' (to), the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Komm sofort her!
Come here immediately!
Question with 'Woher'
When asking about origin or where something comes from, German always uses the question word 'Woher?' (Where from?). This applies both to places and families as well as to the cause of something.
EXAMPLE
Woher kommst du ursprünglich?
Where are you originally from?
Typical use
In the meaning 'to move over here,' 'herkommen' (to come here) is very often used in the imperative to ask someone to come to the speaker. It is often combined with 'mal' to make the request friendlier.
EXAMPLE
Komm mal bitte kurz her, ich möchte dir etwas zeigen.
Please come here for a moment; I want to show you something.
Compare with
herkommen vs kommen
to come
Kommen can generally refer to movement toward a destination, especially toward the speaker. Herkommen makes the direction from another place to the speaker or the stated destination explicit. Use herkommen when the idea of “here” (hierher) is important.
herkommen
Kannst du bitte kurz zu mir ins Büro herkommen?
Could you come here to my office for a moment, please?
kommen
Kannst du bitte kurz ins Büro kommen?
Could you come to the office for a moment, please?
In real life
Loading video examples...