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Location versus destination adverbs

In English, we often use the exact same word for being in a place and for moving to a place. You can say "I am here" and "I am coming here". You can "stay there" or "go there". English relies on the verb to show whether you are stationary or on the move.

German is much stricter. It draws a strong line between location (where you are) and destination (where you are going). If there is movement towards a goal, you cannot use static location adverbs like hier or dort. Instead, you have to use destination adverbs, which often combine with hin or her.

Word list
daA1 here static location daA1 there static location dortA1 there static location herA1 here destination toward speaker hierA1 here static location hierherA1 here destination toward speaker hierhinA1 here destination near speaker rausgehenA1 to go out informal destination daheimA2 at home static location dahinA2 there destination away from speaker dorthinA2 there destination away from speaker herausgehenA2 to go out destination toward speaker hinausgehenA2 to go out destination away from speaker nach Hause gehenA2 to go home destination obenA2 upstairs static location untenA2 downstairs static location zu HauseA2 at home static location zuhauseA2 at home static location draußenB1 outdoors static location drinnenB1 indoors static location heimgehenB1 to go home destination im FreienB1 outdoors static location irgendwoB1 somewhere static location irgendwohinB1 somewhere destination nach untenB1 down destination nirgendsB1 nowhere static location nirgendwoB1 nowhere static location nirgendwohinB1 nowhere destination nach obenB2 up destination
Adding movement: hin and her

When you want to turn a location word into a destination word, you usually add hin or her to the end of it. These two little words act as arrows pointing out the direction of the movement based on the speaker's viewpoint.

You use her for movement towards the speaker. If you want someone to come to your location, you use hierher (or sometimes just her). You use hin for movement away from the speaker towards another place, creating words like hierhin, dahin, or dorthin.

Komm bitte schnell hierher!
(Please come here quickly!)
Stell den Stuhl einfach hierhin.
(Just put the chair here.)
Wir haben Urlaub und fahren dorthin.
(We are on vacation and are driving there.)

Notice how using a static word like hier or dort in the sentences above would sound unnatural in German, because the verbs involve placing or moving something to a new location.

Somewhere and nowhere

This location versus destination rule also applies to words for unknown or negative locations. If you left your keys irgendwo (somewhere), they are sitting in a static spot. But if you want to travel somewhere, you must use irgendwohin.

Mein Schlüssel muss irgendwo sein.
(My key must be somewhere.)
Ich möchte im Sommer irgendwohin fliegen.
(I want to fly somewhere in the summer.)

The same logic applies to nirgendwo (nowhere) and nirgends (nowhere) for static locations, compared to nirgendwohin for destinations.

Dieser Bus fährt nirgendwohin.
(This bus is going nowhere.)
Other location and destination pairs

The distinction between location and destination goes beyond hin and her. Many other spatial concepts in German come in pairs. A classic example is the concept of home. If you are already at home, you are zu Hause. If you are travelling to your home, you must say nach Hause gehen.

Ich bleibe heute zu Hause.
(I am staying at home today.)
Es ist spät und ich möchte nach Hause gehen.
(It is late and I want to go home.)

You will see this pattern with directions like upstairs and downstairs, too. The word oben means upstairs as a location, while nach oben is used when someone is heading up.

Die Kinder spielen oben.
(The children are playing upstairs.)
Er geht die Treppe nach oben.
(He is walking up the stairs.)
Summary

Whenever you talk about places in German, check your verb. If there is movement towards a destination, you cannot use a static location word. You must use a destination equivalent, usually by adding hin (away from speaker) or her (towards speaker), or by choosing the correct directional phrase.