über ... hinweg
over / across
Expresses a duration of time or the bridging of a spatial distance.
EXAMPLE
Über die Jahre hinweg hat sich ihre Freundschaft vertieft.
Over the years, their friendship has deepened.
hinweg
away / over
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
sich über etwas hinwegsetzen
to disregard
To consciously ignore or disregard a rule, an order, or another person's wishes.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich einfach über die Anweisungen seines Chefs hinweggesetzt.
He simply disregarded his boss's instructions.
jemandem über etwas hinweghelfen
to help through
To support someone in overcoming a difficult time or a painful feeling, such as grief or disappointment.
EXAMPLE
Gute Freunde haben ihr über die schwere Trennung hinweggeholfen.
Good friends helped her through the difficult breakup.
über etwas hinwegsehen
to overlook
To intentionally not pay attention to or ignore a mistake, a problem, or inappropriate behavior.
EXAMPLE
Bei einem so kleinen Fehler kann man ausnahmsweise mal hinwegsehen.
With such a small mistake, one can make an exception and overlook it.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adverb consists of 'hin' (movement away from the speaker) and 'weg' (away). It is often used as a postposition or as part of a separable verb to express overcoming something or distance.
EXAMPLE
Er schaute über die Menschenmenge hinweg zum Horizont.
He looked over the crowd toward the horizon.
Use with 'über'
In its spatial or temporal meaning, 'hinweg' often appears as a postposition with 'über' and an accusative object. The structure is: 'über [etwas/jemanden] hinweg' (over/across [something/someone]).
EXAMPLE
Wir sind über die alte Brücke hinweg gefahren.
We drove over the old bridge.
Fixed expression (ignore)
The expression 'sich über etwas hinwegsetzen' means to consciously ignore a rule or a wish. Pay attention to the reflexive pronoun 'sich' and the accusative after 'über'.
EXAMPLE
Sie setzte sich über die Bedenken ihrer Eltern hinweg und reiste allein.
She disregarded her parents' concerns and traveled alone.
Fixed expression (help)
The expression 'jemandem über etwas hinweghelfen' means to support someone during a difficult time. The person being helped is in the dative, and the difficulty is in the accusative after 'über'.
EXAMPLE
Seine Familie half ihm über den schweren Verlust hinweg.
His family helped him through the difficult loss.
Fixed expression (overlook)
The expression 'über etwas hinwegsehen' means to intentionally ignore a mistake. What is being ignored is in the accusative after 'über'.
EXAMPLE
Der Lehrer hat über den kleinen Fehler im Test hinweggesehen.
The teacher overlooked the small mistake in the test.
Compare with
hinweg vs hindurch
through
Hinweg is used with „über“ and here describes bridging a distance in space. Hindurch, by contrast, emphasizes movement through the inside of something to the other side. So a train travels over a valley, but through a tunnel.
hinweg
Der Zug fährt auf einer hohen Brücke über das Tal hinweg.
The train travels across the valley on a high bridge.
hindurch
Der Zug fährt durch einen langen Tunnel hindurch.
The train travels through a long tunnel.
In real life
Loading video examples...