hinterhergelaufen

Hinterhergelaufen is the past participle of the German verb hinterherlaufen, meaning to run after someone or something, typically in order to catch up or to pursue.

Hinterherlaufen is a separable-prefix verb. In the present tense the prefix separates and the verb appears as ich laufe ihm hinterher. In perfect and other compound tenses the auxiliary is sein, and the past participle is hinterhergelaufen: ich bin ihm hinterhergelaufen; er war ihr hinterhergelaufen. The participle form can also appear in subordinate clauses with the qualifying verb, for example: nachdem er dem Bus hinterhergelaufen war.

Usage and nuance: the expression emphasizes physical pursuit and movement, often involving someone or something moving away. It can be used literally, such as chasing a person, animal, or vehicle, but also in figurative contexts to mean trying to keep up with someone or following someone closely. It is somewhat more colloquial and concrete than nachlaufen or verfolgen, which can carry a more general or formal sense of following or pursuing.

Examples:

- Der Junge rannte dem Bus hinterher. (The boy ran after the bus.)

- Ich bin ihr hinterhergelaufen, weil ich noch etwas sagen wollte. (I ran after her because I still wanted to say something.)

Synonyms and related terms include nachlaufen, verfolge n, and verfolgen, though each carries its own nuance regarding intensity and formality. The versatile form hinterherlaufen and its participle hinterhergelaufen are standard in everyday German for describing pursuit or the act of catching up.