The German word for return (as a noun) is die Rückkehr.
It describes the act of coming back—from a place, a state, or a condition. You’ll hear it in daily life, fantasy novels, and formal announcements.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and fits into a surprising number of contexts.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a feminine noun: die Rückkehr.
The ending -kehr is a strong hint toward its meaning and gender—learn more in our video lesson.

Pronunciation:
Rückkehr is pronounced [RUEK-kair]

• “Rück” like rook with a tighter “ü”

• “kehr” rhymes with care
  Two syllables: RÜK-kair

Example sentences

Die Rückkehr war emotional.
The return was emotional.

Wir erwarten seine Rückkehr morgen.
We expect his return tomorrow.

Nach langer Abwesenheit feierte sie ihre Rückkehr.
After a long absence, she celebrated her return.

Nuance and usage tips

🏡 Rückkehr refers to returning to a place or situation—it’s abstract and formal. For physical returns, verbs like zurückkommen or zurückkehren are more common in speech.

📚 You’ll see it in literature: die Rückkehr des Königs, Rückkehr in die Heimat, etc.

🛬 It often appears in travel, politics, and personal stories: Rückkehr zur Normalität, Rückkehr der Flüchtlinge, Rückkehr ins Berufsleben.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Die Rückkehr nach Hause war schwieriger als erwartet."
The return home was harder than expected.

"Seine Rückkehr hat viele überrascht."
His return surprised many.

"Es war keine einfache Rückkehr."
It wasn’t an easy return.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Mira: Ist Peter wieder da?
Jonas: Ja, er ist gestern zurückgekommen.
Mira: Wann war seine Rückkehr geplant?
Jonas: Eigentlich erst nächste Woche.

Translation:
Mira: Is Peter back?
Jonas: Yes, he came back yesterday.
Mira: When was his return planned?
Jonas: Actually not until next week.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Rückkehr war sehr feierlich.
The return was very ceremonial.

Accusative:
Wir feiern die Rückkehr des Teams.
We’re celebrating the team’s return.

Dative:
Mit der Rückkehr kam auch die Verantwortung.
Responsibility came with the return.

Genitive:
Die Nachricht der Rückkehr verbreitete sich schnell.
The news of the return spread quickly.

Other ways to say return in German

For a more casual or verbal phrase, use zurückkommen or zurückkehren (to return). Heimkehr is more emotional or poetic (homecoming). Wiedereinstieg is used for returning to work or school.

Word variations and tidbits

Compound words include:

• Rückkehrrecht (right of return)

• Rückkehrer (someone who returns)

• Rückkehrdatum (return date)

• Rückkehr zur Normalität (return to normalcy)

🧠 Fun fact: The word Kehr relates to turning or going, as in Kehre (a bend in the road) or umkehren (to turn around).

📘 Duden entry for Rückkehr:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Rueckkehr
🎥 Want to return to your German studies with purpose? Our video course brings you back to the core—1000 essential nouns in context.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Ruf means? It’s the reason some people never make a Rückkehr.
And what about Sache? Every Rückkehr brings new ones with it.