herfallen
pounce · fall upon
The German word "herfallen" is a separable verb composed of "her" (meaning "towards the speaker") and "fallen" (meaning "to fall").
Meaning:
- To fall upon or attack something or someone aggressively.
- Informally, it can mean to eagerly start eating or doing something (e.g., "Sie fielen herzhaft über das Essen her" – "They eagerly devoured the food").
Similar words:
- angreifen (to attack)
- überfallen (to assault)
- zustürmen (to rush at)
Difference:
- "herfallen" emphasizes the suddenness and direction towards the speaker or a target.
- "angreifen" is a more general term for attacking without the directional nuance.
- "überfallen" usually implies a surprise or violent attack.
- "zustürmen" focuses more on rushing or storming at something rather than attacking aggressively.
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Examples
Die Kinder fallen über das Spielzeug her.adverb
The children pounce on the toys.
Die Vögel sind im Winter über das Futter hergefallen.verb
The birds have fallen upon the food in winter.
Warum seid ihr gestern so hungrig über das Buffet hergefallen?verb
Why did you all pounce on the buffet so hungrily yesterday?
Als der Duft aus der Küche kam, fielen die Gäste neugierig über die frischen Brötchen her.verb
When the smell came from the kitchen, the guests curiously pounced on the fresh rolls.
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