return / recurrence
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return / recurrence
The return of a person or the repeated occurrence of an event, often in a regular or cyclical rhythm.
Wir feiern die jährliche Wiederkehr des Tages, an dem wir uns kennengelernt haben.
We celebrate the annual recurrence of the day we met.
The word is made up of 'Wieder-' (again) and 'Kehr'. The stem 'kehr' is also found in 'zurückkehren' (to return) and means 'turning' or 'return'.
Die Dorfbewohner feierten die Wiederkehr des verlorenen Sohnes.
The villagers celebrated the return of the lost son.
'Die Wiederkehr' (the return/recurrence) is often used in an elevated, literary, or ceremonial context. It sounds more poetic than the everyday word for a return.
In dem Gedicht geht es um die Wiederkehr des Lichts nach dem langen Winter.
The poem is about the return of light after the long winter.
'Wiederkehr' (return/recurrence) especially often describes regular, often annual events. Typical formulations are 'die jährliche Wiederkehr' (the annual recurrence) or 'die Wiederkehr der Jahreszeiten' (the return of the seasons).
Jedes Jahr im Frühling feiern wir die Wiederkehr der Zugvögel.
Every year in spring, we celebrate the return of the migratory birds.
In a philosophical context, 'ewige Wiederkehr' (eternal recurrence) is a fixed term. It describes the idea that everything in the universe repeats itself infinitely often.
Die Vorstellung der ewigen Wiederkehr kann sehr beunruhigend sein.
The idea of eternal recurrence can be very unsettling.
return
'die Rückkehr' and 'die Wiederkehr' can both express that something or someone is there again. 'die Rückkehr' is used especially when a person comes back to a place or when a former activity is resumed. 'die Wiederkehr' fits better when an event happens again, often regularly or in a particular rhythm. The words can be confusing because both can mean 'again' or 'return'. With a specific person or a concrete act of coming back, 'Rückkehr' is usually more natural. For recurring events such as seasons, problems, or festivals, 'Wiederkehr' fits better.
Viele Menschen freuen sich jedes Jahr auf die Wiederkehr des Frühlings.
Many people look forward to the return of spring every year.
Die Rückkehr in den Beruf war für Lisa nach der langen Pause nicht leicht.
Returning to work was not easy for Lisa after the long break.