rüber
over
Colloquial short form of 'herüber' or 'hinüber', describing movement across a short distance or an imagined line.
EXAMPLE
Gib mir mal bitte das Salz rüber.
Please pass me the salt over here.
rüber
over
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
etwas rüberbringen
to get across
Colloquial way of saying to communicate a message, emotion, or information clearly and effectively.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist eine tolle Rednerin, die ihre Begeisterung wirklich gut rüberbringen kann.
She's a great speaker who can really get her enthusiasm across well.
rübermachen
to go over
Colloquial and historical term for fleeing or moving from the former GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany.
EXAMPLE
Sein Onkel hat kurz vor dem Mauerbau noch 'rübermachen' können.
His uncle was still able to 'go over' shortly before the Berlin Wall was built.
Usage tips
Short form of 'herüber'
'Rüber' (over) is the colloquial short form of 'herüber' (over here/across to here) or 'hinüber' (over there/across to there). It describes movement from one place to another, usually over a short distance.
EXAMPLE
Kommst du heute Abend zu mir rüber?
Are you coming over to my place tonight?
As a separable prefix
'Rüber' (over) often functions as a separable prefix for verbs like 'rüberkommen' (to come over), 'rübergehen' (to go over), or 'rüberreichen' (to pass over). In a main clause, the prefix stands at the end.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir bitte die Butter rüberreichen?
Can you please pass me the butter?
Communicating meaning
The separable verb 'etwas rüberbringen' (to get something across) has the figurative meaning of successfully communicating a message or feeling. What is communicated is the accusative object.
EXAMPLE
In seiner Rede hat er die Dringlichkeit des Problems gut rübergebracht.
In his speech, he got the urgency of the problem across well.
Historical context
The expression 'rübermachen' (to go over) has a specific historical meaning. During the Cold War, it was the colloquial term for fleeing from East Germany (GDR) to West Germany.
EXAMPLE
Seine Familie hat kurz vor dem Mauerbau noch rübergemacht.
His family still managed to go over shortly before the Berlin Wall was built.
Compare with
rüber vs hinüber
across / broken / gone
Rüber is a colloquial term for movement to the other side, without clearly distinguishing on its own between movement toward or away from the speaker. Hinüber explicitly indicates that the movement is away from the speaker or the place being considered. For this clear direction, hinüber is the better choice.
rüber
Ich gehe kurz rüber zu den Nachbarn.
I’m just going over to the neighbors for a moment.
hinüber
Ich gehe von hier hinüber zu den Nachbarn.
I’m going across to the neighbors from here.
In real life
Loading video examples...