In German, choosing between zurückkommen and zurückgehen hinges on your perspective of movement and reference point. This short guide shows when to use each so you sound natural.
Zurückkommen
Use zurückkommen when focusing on returning to a place you consider your starting point or home base. It emphasizes the arrival back to that reference.
Examples
I will come back from Berlin tomorrow.
Key Expressions
| German Expression | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ich komme später zurück. | I will come back later. | |
| Wann kommt du zurück? | When are you coming back? | |
| Er ist gestern spät zurückgekommen. | He came back late yesterday. | |
| Wir kommen morgen früh zurück. | We are coming back tomorrow morning. |
Zurückgehen
Use zurückgehen when highlighting the movement back along a path or when turning back to an earlier place, often from the listener's viewpoint. It stresses the going rather than the arrival.
Examples
Key Expressions
| German Expression | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ich gehe jetzt kurz zurück. | I am going back briefly now. | |
| Können wir zurückgehen? | Can we go back? | |
| Sie ist zum Laden zurückgegangen. | She went back to the store. | |
| Wir gehen später zurück. | We are going back later. |
Summary
Choose zurückkommen to signal returning to your own reference place and zurückgehen to emphasize going back along a route or to an earlier point. Think about whether you highlight arrival zurückkommen or movement zurückgehen.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025