kehrt

Kehrt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb kehren. Kehren has several related meanings, most commonly the actions of cleaning (to sweep) and of turning or returning (to go back or to move in a direction).

In the cleaning sense, kehren means to sweep or brush off a surface, usually with a broom or similar tool. It is used with a direct object indicating what is swept. Examples: "Sie kehrt den Boden." or "Der Arbeiter kehrt den Hof täglich." A common expression is "den Staub kehren," meaning to sweep away dust.

In the sense of movement or returning, kehren can mean to go back or to turn toward a place, especially when combined with directional phrases. Examples: "Er kehrt nach Hause." or "Sie kehrt ins Büro zurück." In this usage, the more common and exact form for returning is often the compound verb zurückkehren.

Conjugation notes: kehren is a regular verb. Present tense forms include: ich kehre, du kehrst, er kehrt, wir kehren, ihr kehrt, sie kehren. Präteritum: ich kehrte, du kehrtest, er kehrte, wir kehrten, ihr kehret, sie kehrten. Perfect: ich habe gekehrt.

Etymology: The verb derives from older Germanic roots and has developed into both a cleaning-related meaning and a motion-related meaning in modern German.