down / downward
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downward
Expresses movement from a higher point to a lower point, typically away from the speaker. It describes the direction downward.
Er stieg vorsichtig die steile Felswand hinab.
He carefully climbed down the steep rock face.
The word is made up of 'hin' (away/toward there) and 'ab' (down/off). 'Hin' describes movement away from the speaker, and 'ab' means downward. So 'hinab' means movement downward, away from the speaker.
Vom Berggipfel blickten wir auf das Dorf tief unter uns hinab.
From the mountain summit, we looked down at the village far below us.
'Hinab' can be used as an independent adverb or as the separable prefix of a verb. As a prefix, it appears at the end of the main clause.
Der Weg führt steil den Berg hinab.
The path leads steeply down the mountain.
'Hinab' belongs more to written language or to an elevated, more formal style. In everyday colloquial speech, other expressions are often preferred.
Die Sonne versank und Dunkelheit senkte sich auf das Tal hinab.
The sun sank, and darkness descended upon the valley.
The literal meaning refers to a physical movement downward, for example down stairs or a mountain. The figurative meaning describes a negative development in abstract things, for example a company or quality.
Er kletterte die Leiter hinab.
He climbed down the ladder.
In its literal meaning, 'hinab' is often combined with verbs of movement. Typical ones are: 'hinabsteigen' (to descend), 'hinabgehen' (to go down), 'hinabklettern' (to climb down), 'hinabsehen' (to look down), or 'hinabgleiten' (to glide down).
Der Taucher glitt langsam in die Tiefe hinab.
The diver slowly glided down into the depths.
down
'runter' and 'hinab' both describe movement downward. 'runter' is the normal colloquial form in everyday speech. 'hinab' sounds more elevated or written and often emphasizes movement downward and away from the speaker. In conversations, people usually say 'runter', for example with stairs, mountains, or paths. 'hinab' fits better in stories, descriptions, or more formal texts. Learners may confuse the words because the basic direction is the same, but the style and sometimes the perspective are different.
Der schmale Weg führt vom Dorf zum Fluss hinab.
The narrow path leads down from the village to the river.
Nach dem Training liefen wir müde die Treppe runter.
After training, we tiredly ran down the stairs.