around
Loading your saved state.
around
Expresses movement in different directions without a fixed destination or a specific plan. It is almost always combined with a verb of movement.
Nach der Trennung irrte er tagelang ziellos in der Stadt umher.
After the breakup, he wandered aimlessly around the city for days.
'Umher' (around) is often combined with verbs of movement to form new separable verbs, e.g. 'umherlaufen' (to run/walk around) or 'umherziehen' (to roam around). These new verbs emphasize aimless movement.
Die Kinder liefen den ganzen Nachmittag im Park umher.
The children ran around in the park all afternoon.
As an adverb, 'umher' (around) usually comes at the end of a part of a sentence and describes the type of movement more precisely. It answers the question 'How is someone moving?'
Er blickte nervös im Raum umher.
He looked around the room nervously.
'Umher' (around) describes movement without a fixed destination. It is therefore often used with verbs such as 'laufen' (to run/walk), 'gehen' (to go/walk), 'fahren' (to drive/travel), 'irren' (to wander), 'schauen' (to look), or 'blicken' (to glance/look).
Nachdenklich ging er in seinem Büro umher.
Lost in thought, he walked around his office.
around / about
Both words can express movement without a clear destination. „Herum“ is common in everyday German and can also suggest staying in one place, while „umher“ sounds more elevated or literary and is almost always used with a verb of movement. In ordinary conversation, „herum“ is usually more suitable; in a literary text, „umher“ is more likely.
Die Kinder liefen den ganzen Nachmittag im Hof umher.
The children wandered around the yard all afternoon.
Die Kinder liefen den ganzen Nachmittag im Hof herum.
The children ran around the yard all afternoon.
