Most foreigners living in Germany will at one time or another find themselves experiencing Sehnsucht for their homeland.
This emotive German word has no direct counterpart in English, but can perhaps best be described as an âinternal, painful longing for someone or somethingâ.Â
The true meaning of this word however, like the feeling it describes, can be interpreted differently depending on the individual.
Where does it come from?
Sehnsucht is divisible into two parts: Sehn from sehnen (to yearn)Â and Sucht (addiction, craving).
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The origin of the word Sehnen is unknown, but there have been many attempts to assign it a definitive definition, including by the famous Grimm Brothers, according to whose own dictionary it means "to grieve, to grasp, to demand something, especially related to the pain and desire of loveâ.
The sucht part of the word, surprisingly, does not come from the word suchen (to search), but from siech meaning sick.Â
So, put together, the word Sehnsucht literally means a sickness caused by a yearning desire.Â
Photo: DPA
Examples
Sehnsucht nach Vergangenheit.
Nostalgia
Wir erwarten seine Ankunft mit Sehnsucht.
We are eagerly awaiting his arrivalÂ
Sie ist vor Sehnsucht verzehrt.
She is consumed by longing.
Nach einem Jahr im Ausland hatte ich Sehnsucht nach der Heimat.
After a year abroad I was homesick.
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