komm her
The English phrase "come here, dog" is translated into German as komm her.
This phrase is a command used to tell a dog to move toward the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The word her specifically indicates movement toward the speaker. Using hin instead would indicate movement away from the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase komm her is the singular imperative form used for one dog. If you are calling multiple dogs at once, use the plural imperative form kommt her.
Did you know?
- While 'komm her' is the standard command, many German owners use the single word hier as a shorthand command to mean 'come here'.
- The strict distinction between her and hin means that a German speaker must mentally track whether the dog is moving toward them or away from them before choosing the word.
- The word her is a cognate of the Dutch word her and the Low German her, sharing an ancient root used to describe movement toward the speaker.
Examples in context
- Komm her, kleiner Hund.Come here, little dog.
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are at a park with their dog.
- LauraSchau mal, der Hund rennt weg!Look, the dog is running away!
- MaximilianIch rufe ihn jetzt.I will call him now.
- MaximilianKomm her!Come here!
- LauraGut gemacht, Maximilian.Well done, Maximilian.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries her, CC BY-SA 4.0.
