longing
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longing
A strong, often painful desire for a person, place, thing, or state that is distant or unreachable.
Nach Monaten im Ausland hatte sie große Sehnsucht nach ihrer Familie.
After months abroad, she had a great longing for her family.
The word is made up of 'sehnen' (to yearn) and 'Sucht' (addiction). This shows the intensity of the feeling: it is a desire that can be almost like an addiction.
Ihre Sehnsucht nach dem Meer wurde jeden Tag größer.
Her longing for the sea grew greater every day.
'Sehnsucht' (longing) is almost always used with the preposition 'nach' (for/after) and the dative. The pattern is: Sehnsucht nach jemandem/etwas haben (to have a longing for someone/something).
Er hat große Sehnsucht nach seiner Heimatstadt.
He has a great longing for his hometown.
Common verbs used with 'Sehnsucht' (longing) are 'haben' (to have), 'verspüren' (to feel), or 'fühlen' (to feel). The feeling is often described with adjectives such as 'groß' (great), 'tief' (deep), or 'schmerzlich' (painful).
Manchmal verspüre ich eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach der Stille der Natur.
Sometimes I feel a deep longing for the silence of nature.
hunger
Both Hunger and Sehnsucht can express a strong desire for love. Hunger emphasizes the pressing wish to get something, while Sehnsucht usually highlights painful missing or distance from a person. Choose Hunger for the desire to have something fulfilled, and Sehnsucht for missing someone or something.
Nach der Trennung spürte sie eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach ihrer früheren Liebe.
After the breakup, she felt a deep longing for her former love.
Nach vielen Enttäuschungen spürte sie noch immer einen großen Hunger nach Liebe.
After many disappointments, she still felt a great hunger for love.
