hier

Hier is a German adverb meaning "here." It denotes location relative to the speaker and is used to identify a place in proximity. It appears in statements such as "Ich bin hier" or "Hier ist der Schlüssel" to indicate where something is located. In everyday speech, hier is often used with additional words to clarify position and contrasts with dort, which means "there."

Historically, hier is a basic demonstrative adverb in Standard German. It shares roots with cognate forms in other West Germanic languages; the English word here is a close cognate. The usage is foundational in both spoken and written German and is a common element in phrases describing place or presence.

Hier is also a surname of German origin. It appears in historical and contemporary records among German-speaking populations and their descendants. As a surname, it may be found in various countries through migration, and bearers carry the name independently of the adverb’s everyday meaning.

Pronunciation is roughly [ˈhiːɐ̯] in standard German, with the initial h pronounced and the vowel sound similar to the English long "ee." The word is one of the most frequently used expressions for locating people and objects in German, and it also appears in compound forms and idiomatic expressions. See also: Here (disambiguation) for related terms and uses in other languages.