nordwärts
northward
Describes movement or direction toward the north.
EXAMPLE
Die Wandergruppe zog von der Hütte aus weiter nordwärts.
The hiking group moved on northward from the hut.
nordwärts
northward
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation with '-wärts'
The ending '-wärts' is very useful and always means 'in the direction of'. You can combine it with all compass directions: nordwärts (northward), südwärts (southward), ostwärts (eastward), and westwärts (westward).
EXAMPLE
Die Vögel fliegen im Herbst südwärts in wärmere Gebiete.
In autumn, the birds fly southward to warmer regions.
Sentence structure and usage
As an adverb of direction, 'nordwärts' (northward) answers the question 'Wohin?' (Where to?). It typically comes after the conjugated verb and describes the direction of a movement.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Pause fuhren wir mit dem Auto weiter nordwärts.
After the break, we continued driving northward by car.
Typical collocations
'Nordwärts' (northward) is almost always used with verbs of movement. Typical verbs are 'gehen' (to go), 'fahren' (to drive/travel), 'ziehen' (to move on), 'blicken' (to look), or 'reisen' (to travel).
EXAMPLE
Vom Berggipfel blickten wir nordwärts über das weite Tal.
From the mountain peak, we looked northward over the wide valley.
Compare with
nordwärts vs nördlich
northern
Both words can express a connection to the north. Nördlich mainly describes a location or, more generally, a northern direction, while nordwärts explicitly refers to movement toward the north. For a location, use nördlich; for movement in that direction, nordwärts is usually the better choice.
nordwärts
Die Wandergruppe ging am Morgen nordwärts weiter.
The hiking group continued northward in the morning.
nördlich
Das Dorf liegt nördlich von der Stadt.
The village lies north of the city.
In real life
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