Fernweh
a longing to travel far away; wanderlust
Definitions
-
1
a deep desire or yearning to travel to distant, unfamiliar places
“Nach dem Dokumentarfilm über Afrika hatte sie plötzlich starkes Fernweh.”
After the documentary about Africa, she suddenly felt strong wanderlust.
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2
a general restlessness or longing for faraway places, contrasted with 'Heimweh' (homesickness)
“Sein Fernweh wurde jedes Jahr im Herbst besonders stark spürbar.”
His longing for faraway places became especially noticeable every autumn.
Word forms
- Gender
- neuter
- Plural
- no plural (uncountable)
- Usage
- Compound of 'fern' (far) and 'Weh' (pain/ache); typically used only in singular, often with verbs like 'haben' (to have) or 'spüren' (to feel).
A distinctly German cultural concept, the opposite of 'Heimweh' (homesickness); often cited as a word with no direct English equivalent, sometimes borrowed into English as 'fernweh'.