hereingehen

Hereingehen is a German verb meaning to go into a place or to enter. It combines the directional prefix herein- with the verb gehen and is used to describe the act of moving from outside into a space such as a room, building, or area. The verb is separable in finite clauses, so its prefix is commonly split: ich gehe herein, du gehst herein, er geht herein.

In terms of tense, hereingehen follows the standard pattern for separable-prefix verbs. The present tense uses the stem gehen with the prefix: er geht herein. The perfect tense typically uses the auxiliary sein, for example: er ist hereingegangen. The form reflects movement into a space and can carry both literal and more formal, slightly idiomatic nuances.

Usage and nuances: hereingehen is primarily used for literal entering, especially when inviting someone or describing someone entering a space. It can appear in formal or literary contexts. In everyday speech, more common alternatives include hereinkommen or hinein gehen, depending on regional preference and the exact sense (entering through a door versus entering a space more generally).

Related terms include hereinkommen (to come in or enter) and hineingehen, which share the core idea of movement toward or into a space. Etymologically, the word derives from the adverbial prefix herein- combined with gehen, reflecting a direction toward the speaker or the location referenced.