willkommen zurück
/vɪlˈkɔmən t͡suˈʁʏk/word by word
The English phrase "welcome back" is translated into German as willkommen zurück.
This phrase is used both in formal and informal settings when someone returns from a trip, a break or an absence.
Meaning: welcome back (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of willkommen (welcome) and zurück (back).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, willkommen is used as an adjective or interjection and does not change its form based on the person being addressed.
How do you pronounce it?
/vɪlˈkɔmən tsuˈʁʏk/
Did you know?
- The word zurück is literally built from the components meaning 'to the' and 'back' (as in the back of the body).
- Although it translates to 'welcome back', Germans may simply say Schön, dass du wieder da bist, meaning 'it is nice that you are here again', to sound more warm and personal.
- The phrase willkommen zurück can be used ironically in German to welcome someone who has finally finished a task that took far longer than expected.
Examples in context
- Willkommen zurück, Tom! Du hast uns gefehlt!Welcome back, Tom. We've missed you.This example shows how to use willkommen zurück to welcome someone by name and express that they were missed.Tatoeba #2118144 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1228176 by CK
- Willkommen zurück!Welcome back.This is a simple way to say willkommen zurück.Tatoeba #4659708 by AC, translation #1627336 by Spamster
- Willkommen zurück. Wir haben dich vermisst!Welcome back. We missed you!This example uses willkommen zurück to welcome someone and express that they were missed.Tatoeba #618525 by MUIRIEL, translation #599638 by kebukebu
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian greets Hannah at the office after her long vacation.
- JulianWillkommen zurück, Hannah!Welcome back, Hannah!
- HannahDanke, Julian!Thanks, Julian!
- JulianWie war dein Urlaub?How was your vacation?
- HannahEs war sehr schön.It was very nice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome back” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (willkommen, zurück) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries willkommen, zurück, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
