around
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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
'herum' and 'umher' can both describe movement without a clear destination. 'herum' is very common in everyday language and can also mean that someone stays somewhere or moves in an indefinite way. 'umher' is almost always used with verbs of movement like 'laufen' (to run / walk), 'gehen' (to go / walk), or 'wandern' (to hike / wander). It sounds somewhat more written or precise than 'herum'. The words can be confused because they seem similar in sentences like 'Er läuft herum' and 'Er läuft umher' (He is walking around). But 'herum' is broader; 'umher' emphasizes movement in different directions more strongly.
Im Park läuft ein Hund ohne Leine umher.
A dog is running around the park without a leash.
Die Kinder sitzen nach dem Training noch lange im Flur herum.
After training, the children sit around in the hallway for a long time.