01
hinten
at the back
Indicates a position located in the rear part, on the back side, or at the end of something.
example
Im Bus waren nur noch ganz hinten Plätze frei.
On the bus, there were only seats free right at the back.
hinten
at the back / behind
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Word family
'Hinten' belongs to a word family that describes positions. 'Hinten' is the adverb (Wo? → hinten; Where? → at the back), 'hinter' is the preposition (hinter dem Haus; behind the house), and 'hintere' is the adjective (die hintere Tür; the back/rear door).
EXAMPLE
Die hintere Bremse am Fahrrad funktioniert nicht.
The rear brake on the bike doesn't work.
Question 'Wo?'
The adverb 'hinten' (at the back) always describes a position and answers the question 'Wo?' (Where?). It does not express movement or direction.
EXAMPLE
Wo sitzt du im Kino am liebsten? Ich sitze gern ganz hinten.
Where do you like to sit in the movie theater? I like sitting right at the back.
Fixed expression
The phrase 'sich hinten anstellen' (to get in line at the back) means to join the end of a queue. It can also be used metaphorically to mean 'to have to wait' or 'to not be that important.'
EXAMPLE
Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst. Alle anderen müssen sich hinten anstellen.
First come, first served. Everyone else has to get in line at the back.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'das stimmt hinten und vorne nicht' (that doesn't add up at all) is a strong expression used to say that something is completely wrong, illogical, or contradictory.
EXAMPLE
Er sagt, er war krank, aber ich habe ihn in der Stadt gesehen. Seine Geschichte stimmt hinten und vorne nicht.
He says he was sick, but I saw him in town. His story doesn't add up at all.
Compare with
hinten vs hinter
behind
'hinter' and 'hinten' both describe an area that is not at the front. The most important difference is the grammar. 'hinter' is a preposition and needs a reference word: 'hinter dem Haus' (behind the house), 'hinter die Tür' (behind the door). It can express a position or a direction. 'hinten' is an adverb and is used without a noun. It means: in the rear part or at the end of something. Learners easily confuse the words because they are spatially similar. Remember: 'hinter' asks 'behind what?', while 'hinten' only says 'where?'.
hinten
Im Bus sind hinten noch zwei Plätze frei.
There are still two seats free at the back of the bus.
hinter
Fiona stellt ihr Fahrrad hinter das Haus.
Fiona puts her bicycle behind the house.
In real life
Loading video examples...