heranwachsen
grow up
Definition & meaning
The verb heranwachsen primarily means to grow up or to mature. It describes the process of a child or a young person reaching adulthood, focusing on the developmental journey from youth to maturity.
Beyond its literal biological meaning, it can also be used in a more abstract sense to describe something that is developing, emerging, or coming into existence over time. For example, a new generation or a new problem can "heranwachsen."
In legal contexts, the noun form Heranwachsender refers to a specific age group—young adults between 18 and 21 years old who may still be treated under juvenile law depending on their level of development.
Grammar & Word origin
The word is a separable verb (trennbares Verb), consisting of the prefix heran- and the base verb wachsen.
- heran-: This prefix indicates a movement toward a specific point or state (in this case, maturity).
- wachsen: This means to grow.
As it describes a change of state, it uses the auxiliary verb sein in perfect tenses (e.g., "er ist herangewachsen"). It is a strong verb: wächst heran, wuchs heran, ist herangewachsen.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- aufwachsen – to grow up (mostly used for the environment or location where one grows up).
- großwerden – to grow up/to become big.
- reifen – to ripen or to mature.
- entstehen – to emerge or to come into being (in an abstract sense).
- gedeihen – to thrive or to flourish.
Antonyms:
Make “heranwachsen” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Die Kinder wachsen schnell heran.verb
The children grow up quickly.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad