zurück

Zurück is a German adverb and particle meaning back or backwards. It denotes movement toward a previous location, state, or point in time, and can function as a separate element in verb phrases or as part of compound verbs. It also serves as a directional cue in signage and user interfaces, where a button labeled “Zurück” typically means “Back.”

In everyday German, zurück appears in a wide range of compounds and phrases. It forms common separable-prefix verbs such as zurückkommen (to come back), zurückgehen (to go back), zurücklassen (to leave behind), zurückhalten (to hold back), and zurückziehen (to withdraw). In main clauses the prefix can be separated from the verb, as in Geh zurück (Go back) or Wir gehen gleich zurück (We’ll go back soon). Fixed phrases include Zurück zum Anfang (Back to the beginning) and Zurück in die Schule (Back to school).

Etymologically, zurück is a combination of zu, meaning toward or to, and Rück, related to Rücken, meaning back. The word has long been used in German to convey return, reversal, or retreat in various linguistic and practical contexts.

Culturally, the term Zurück occurs as a title or thematic element in German-language media, including songs and films, reflecting its broad sense of returning or reversing. It is generally treated as a common, polyvalent term rather than a reference to any single, canonical work.