01
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 Norden
north
'der Norden' and 'nordwärts' both refer to the north, but they do not express the same thing. 'der Norden' is a noun and names a direction or a northern area. 'nordwärts' is an adverb and describes movement or direction toward the north. So you can say 'im Norden wohnen' (to live in the north), but you 'fährt nordwärts' (drive northward). Learners may confuse the words because both refer to a direction. The simple difference is: 'der Norden' is a place or area, while 'nordwärts' describes where something is moving.
nordwärts
Nach der Grenze fuhren sie weiter nordwärts.
After the border, they continued northward.
Norden
Am Wochenende erzählte Noah viel vom Norden und von seiner Reise ans Meer.
At the weekend, Noah talked a lot about the north and about his trip to the sea.
In real life
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