hervorholen

Hervorholen is a German separable-prefix verb that means to fetch or pull something out from a place, or to bring something to light that was hidden or not immediately accessible. It can refer to physical objects as well as information, memories, or documents. The action is transitive: someone holt something hervor.

Grammatically, the prefix hervor- is separated in the present tense: Ich hole dir etwas hervor. In the perfect (present perfect) tense the prefix is integrated into the participle: Ich habe mir das Buch hervorgeholt. In subordinate clauses the verb behaves like other separable verbs and the prefix may appear at the end of the clause: ..., was er hervorgeholt hat.

Usage and nuance are important. Hervorholen emphasizes the act of bringing something forth from a place where it was stored or hidden, or presenting something that was not immediately visible. It is commonly used for tangible objects, but also for information or memories that are retrieved or recalled. It contrasts with verbs that imply simply bringing something closer or revealing something that is already visible; hervorgeholt carries a sense of uncovering or making accessible.

Common collocations include aus dem Regal hervorgeholt (pulled from the shelf), aus dem Gedächtnis hervorgeholt (brought forth from memory), and aus dem Archiv hervorgeholt (pulled from the archive).

Examples:

- Ich hole dir eine Tasse Kaffee hervor.

- Er holte den Brief aus dem Schreibtisch hervorgeholt.

- Sie hat aus dem Gedächtnis die passenden Details hervorgeholt.

- In der Diskussion holt er oft Fakten aus dem Archiv hervor.