heimsuchen

Heimsuchen is a German verb with several related senses. In its primary, mainly literary use, it means to visit someone at their home or to pay a home visit. In a more figurative or historical sense, it can also mean to haunt or trouble a person or place, as if a presence were visiting or lingering. The noun form Heimsuchen (or Heimsuchung) denotes the act of visitation and is often found in religious, supernatural, or historical contexts.

Usage and register are important to note. In contemporary standard German, people usually express a visit with besuchen or aufsuchen, depending on the nuance (social call vs. formal arrival). Heimsuchen tends to appear in older texts, poetry, or theological writing, where it can carry a solemn or archaic tone. Fixed phrases such as eine Heimsuchung Gottes (a visitation of God) or die Heimsuchung eines Ortes (the visitation of a place) are common in religious or literary usage.

Etymology and related terms: Heimsuchen is formed from heim (home) and suchen (to seek), reflecting the sense of seeking out someone at home. Because of its archaic or elevated flavor, the term is relatively rare in everyday speech. Closely related concepts include besuchen (to visit), aufsuchen (to seek out or visit, often with specific purpose), and Heimsuchung (the visitation itself) in theological or literary contexts.