reisend

Reisend is the present participle of the German verb reisen, meaning to travel. It functions primarily as an adjective or participial modifier and describes someone or something that is currently traveling or in the act of traveling. In usage, reisend conveys a sense of movement and ongoing action, often appearing in travel writing, journalism, or descriptive passages.

As an adjective, reisend is declined like a standard German adjective and can describe different genders and numbers. For example: Der reisende Mann, Die reisende Frau, Das reisende Kind, Die reisenden Touristen. When used in this way, it emphasizes the process of traveling rather than a static state. The participle can also appear in a predicative position, as in Der Mann ist reisend, though more common expressions of travel involve other verbs such as reisen or unterwegs.

Reisende is also used as a noun in German. The capitalized form Reisender (masculine) or Reisende (feminine) refers to a traveler, with the plural Reisenden meaning the travelers. This noun usage is common in travel catalogs, narratives, and reports, where it designates people who are on a journey rather than describing a single merely traveling entity.

Etymologically, reisend derives from reisen with the adjectival suffix -end, aligning with German patterns for present participles used as adjectives. Its meaning overlaps with related terms such as reisen (to travel) and Reiseliteratur (travel literature). The form remains distinct from the simple verb form and is typically recognized in written German as describing people or things that are in the act of traveling.