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herumirren
/həˈʁʊmˌɪʁən/
to wander aimlessly
Die Touristen irrten den ganzen Nachmittag durch die Altstadt.
The tourists wandered aimlessly through the old town all afternoon.
informal
to move around without a specific goal, direction, or plan; to roam or stroll idly
Er ist den ganzen Tag in der Stadt herumgeirrt.
He wandered around the town all day.
Wir sind ohne Ziel durch den Wald herumgeirrt.
We wandered through the forest without a goal.
Implies a lack of purpose or direction. It is less chaotic than 'herumlaufen' (running around) and more passive than 'wandern' (hiking).
Collocations
durch die Stadt herumirrento wander around the citystundenlang herumirrento wander around for hoursohne Ziel herumirrento wander aimlessly
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Separable Verb Structure
Remember that 'herum' is a separable prefix. In the present tense, it splits from the verb stem: 'Ich irre herum', not 'Ich herumirre'. In the perfect tense, 'ge-' is inserted between the prefix and the stem: 'herumgeirrt'.
Gold Rule
Auxiliary Verb
Always use 'sein' as the auxiliary verb for 'herumirren' in the perfect tense because it indicates movement/change of location: 'Ich bin herumgeirrt'.
Word Origin
From the separable prefix 'herum-' (around, about) and the verb 'irren' (to wander, to err). 'Irren' derives from Old High German 'irren', meaning to go astray or err.
Usage Notes
This is a separable verb. In main clauses, the prefix 'herum' moves to the end (e.g., 'Ich irre herum'). In perfect tense, it uses the auxiliary 'sein' and the past participle 'herumgeirrt'. It is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to convey a sense of leisurely or confused movement.
Word Breakdown
herum
around, about
prefixirren
to wander, to err
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