herangekommen

Herangekommen is a German participial form derived from the verb herankommen, which means to come toward or to reach a point of reference, such as the speaker, a location, or a situation. The prefix her- signals movement toward the referent, while the base verb kommen means to come or arrive. As a participle, herangekommen appears in tenses built with an auxiliary and can function adjectivally.

Usage and meaning

Herangekommen denotes that someone or something has arrived at or reached the specified reference point. It commonly conveys a sense of proximity or completion of a movement toward the listener or a stated context. In perfect tenses of movement or arrival, it can be used with the auxiliary sein, depending on the verb’s grammatical construction. In addition to verbal use, the participle can describe nouns in attributive or predicative positions, functioning like an adjective that expresses “arrived” or “having arrived.”

Examples

- Die Gäste sind herangekommen. (The guests have arrived.)

- Herangekommene Informationen veränderten den Plan. (Information that has arrived altered the plan.)

- Wir warten auf herangekommene Nachrichten. (We are waiting for messages that have arrived.)

Variations and related forms

The core verb related to herangekommen is herankommen, with related verbs including ankommen (to arrive) and vorankommen (to advance). The prefix her- signals movement toward a reference point, whereas other prefixes (z. B. vor-, hin-, hinunter) convey different directional nuances. Spelling and usage can vary in different dialects or older texts, but herangekommen is the standard participial form in modern German.

See also

ankommen, herankommen, vorankommen, nahen.