übernachten
Meaning and Usage
"Übernachten" means "to stay overnight" or "to spend the night" in German. It is used to describe the act of staying at a place for the night, such as in a hotel, a friend's house, or while traveling.
Linguistic Analysis
The word "übernachten" is a compound verb, formed by the prefix "über-" (meaning "over" or "across") and the verb "nachten" (meaning "to spend the night"). The combination of these two parts creates the meaning of "to stay overnight."
Comparisons between German and English
The word "übernachten" has a similar meaning to the English verb "to stay overnight," but it is a compound verb, whereas the English equivalent is a simple two-word verb.
Cultural Context
In German-speaking countries, "übernachten" is commonly used when discussing travel plans, accommodations, or sleepovers.
Example Sentences
- Ich werde bei meinem Freund übernachten. (I will stay overnight at my friend's place.)
- Wir haben in einem Hotel übernachtet. (We stayed overnight in a hotel.)
Memory Tips
To remember the meaning of "übernachten," think of the prefix "über-" indicating going "over" the day and "nachten" meaning "night," so "übernachten" means staying over the night.
Additional Vocabulary
- die Übernachtung (f) - the overnight stay
- übernachtungsmöglichkeiten - overnight accommodations
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
N/A
Conjugation (for verbs)
- ich übernachte (I stay overnight)
- du übernachtest (you stay overnight)
- er/sie/es übernachtet (he/she/it stays overnight)
- wir übernachten (we stay overnight)
- ihr übernachtet (you (pl) stay overnight)
- sie übernachten (they stay overnight)