zusammenkommen

Zusammenkommen is a German term that primarily functions as a verb meaning to come together or to assemble. It can also appear as a noun, das Zusammenkommen, though in everyday usage it is more common to refer to a gathering with the related nouns Zusammenkunft or Zusammentreffen. The word has a broad range of applications, covering physical gatherings of people as well as the figurative joining of ideas, groups, or forces.

Etymologically, zusammenkommen is formed from zusammen (together) and kommen (to come). As a verb, it is a separable-prefix verb: in present tense one says sie kommen zusammen, and in the perfect tense sie sind zusammengekommen. The noun das Zusammenkommen denotes the act or event of coming together, often emphasizing the process or outcome rather than a single meeting.

Usage and nuance vary by context. In political, social, or cultural discourse, zusammenkommen can describe collaborative processes, such as nations, parties, or communities uniting around a common goal. It can also refer to ad hoc or planned gatherings of people, such as families, colleagues, or delegations, depending on the emphasis. For more specific, scheduled gatherings, the terms Zusammenkunft or Zusammentreffen are frequently used.

See also: Zusammenkunft, Zusammentreffen, Beisammensein, Vereinigung.