wiedervereinigt
The English phrase "reunited" is translated into German as wiedervereinigt.
wiedervereinigt is often used in a political context, specifically when referring to the reunification of Germany.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of wieder (again) and vereinigt (united).
Which one should you use?
While wiedervereinigt is the default, you may also see wieder vereint, which can be used in both formal and informal situations. For a more formal tone, you can use wiedervereint. To express the idea of being "back together" informally, you can use the phrase wieder zusammen.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, you may hear the casual phrase wieda zam meaning "back together".
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, wiedervereinigt follows standard German declension rules based on the gender, case and number of the noun it modifies.
Did you know?
- The prefix wieder can be confused with wider, which means 'against'. Despite the similar sound, wiedervereinigt means 'united again' while widervereinigt would logically mean 'united against'.
- In German, the concept of being 'back together' after a breakup is almost always expressed as wieder zusammen, whereas wiedervereinigt would sound like a formal diplomatic treaty between two former lovers.
- The word vereinigt comes from the verb 'einigen', which is related to the word 'eins', meaning 'one'. Therefore, to be 'reunited' in German is linguistically rooted in the idea of 'making many into one again'.
Examples in context
- Die Freunde sind endlich wieder zusammenThe friends are finally back together
- Nach dem Krieg waren die Stadtteile wiedervereinigt.After the war, the districts were reunited.
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah meet after a long time apart.
- JulianHallo Sarah, ich bin so froh, dass wir wiedervereinigt sind.Hello Sarah, I am so glad that we are reunited.
- SarahIch auch, Julian! Es ist schon viel zu lange her.Me too, Julian! It has been far too long.
- JulianWir müssen unbedingt heute Abend gemeinsam essen.We absolutely must have dinner together tonight.
- SarahDas ist eine sehr gute Idee.That is a very good idea.
