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Herr. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Herr, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Herr in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Herr you have here. The definition of the word
Herr will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
Herr, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology 1
As a title and German and Jewish surname (also found in Hungary and France), from the noun Herr (“gentleman, sir”).
Proper noun
Herr (plural Herrs)
- A surname.
Noun
Herr (plural Herren)
- Used as a courtesy title before the surname of a man among German-speaking people.
- Synonym: Hr.
- Coordinate term: Frau
1862 November 14, “New Photolithographic Process”, in G. Wharton Simpson, editor, The Photographic News: A Weekly Record of the Progress of Photography, volume VI, number 219, London: Thomas Piper, , page 546, column 1:On a variety of drawings being lately exhibited for a new town hall in one of the German capitals, a certain design of Herren Schmidt and Stauch attracted considerable attention among the art-loving public of the Fatherland, but as it happened to become a subject of jobbery, and was not to be accepted in consequence, would have been hardly accessible to larger circles of connoisseurs, without the invention of the new art.
2014, Marsha Morton, Max Klinger and Wilhelmine Culture: On the Threshold of German Modernism, Ashgate Publishing, →ISBN, page 98:They stand in the poses of the two provincials—Herren Müller and Schultze—whose conversations (and portraits) were a regular column in the satirical paper.
Further reading
- “Herr”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
- “Herr”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- “Herr”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- “Herr”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
Etymology 2
As a Hmong surname, variant of Her, named after the Her clan, written in Chinese as 侯 (compare Hou).
Proper noun
Herr (plural Herrs)
- A surname.
Etymology 3
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Proper noun
Herr
- An unincorporated community in Perry Township, Boone County, Indiana, United States.
German
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle High German hērre, hërre, from Old High German hēriro, hērro (“grey, grey-haired”), the comparative form of hēr (“noble, venerable”) (by analogy with Latin senior (“elder”)), from Proto-Germanic *hairaz (“grey”).
Cognate with Dutch heer, Old English hār, English hoar, Old Norse hárr; compare also modern German hehr (“noble, holy”), herrschen (“to rule”).
Pronunciation
Noun
Herr m (weak, genitive Herrn or (archaic) Herren, plural Herren or (archaic) Herrn, diminutive Herrchen n or Herrlein n)
- man, gentleman (polite term)
Herrenbekleidung- gentlemen's wear
Herrentoilette- gentlemen's toilet
Ein älterer Herr- An old gentleman
- sir (title of respect)
Wie kann ich Euch zu Diensten sein, Herr?- How can I serve you, sir?
Gnädiger Herr!- (Can be translated as my lord in English, but there is no direct equivalent)
- Mr., mister, sir
Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt- (Dear) Mr. Schmidt
Die Herren Schmidt und Müller- Messrs. Schmidt and Müller
- Herr Doktor von Braun ― Dr. von Braun
- Herr Professor ― Dr. (Ph.D.) / Professor
- Herr Bundeskanzler ― Mr. Chancellor or Sir
- Jawohl, Herr Oberst! ― Yes, sir! (Because Herr already is a respectful form of address, adding a term like sir is unnecessary) (literally, “Yes, Mr. Colonel.”)
- Entschuldigung, der Herr? Sie haben Ihre Uhr verloren. ― Excuse me, sir? You've lost your watch. (standard usage between strangers)
- Was kann ich Ihnen bringen, meine Herren? ― What can I bring you, sirs?
- Sehr verehrte Damen und Herren ― Dear Sir or Madam (address in formal letters and e-mails)
- gentleman
Meine Damen und Herren...- Ladies and gentlemen...
- master, lord (generally denotes that somebody has control over something, either in a generic or in a regal sense)
Herr der Lage sein- to be master of the situation
Weil die Tiere auf seinen Wink reagieren, nennt man ihn den Herren der Wölfe.- Because the animals are at his beck and call, he is called Lord of the Wolves.
(Can we date this quote?), Der gestiefelte Kater:Wer ist Herr dieser Landen? Der Graf von Karabas.- Who is the ruler/owner of these lands? The Count of Karabas.
- (historical) the lowest title of German nobility
Gans Edle Herren zu Putlitz- Gans (noble) lords of Putlitz
- Lord, God
Das Haus des Herrn- The House of God
Usage notes
- Omitting Herr (or the female form Frau) when addressing a person with their last name is usually perceived as disrespectful, but it is more common when speaking about somebody who is not present, except in formal contexts. However, there may be contextual pitfalls and regional differences, which makes it advisable for learners not to leave out Herr (and Frau).
- When people address each other with their last name, but say du to each other, the words Herr and Frau are always left out in most regions. In parts of western Germany, however, there is (or was) a system of saying du and Herr (Frau) among coworkers.
Declension
- The forms Herrn and Herren were originally simple phonetic/graphic variants. Both were used for the singular and plural inflections. In contemporary standard German they are—usually—distinguished functionally, Herrn being the inflected singular, Herren the plural.
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
Hunsrik
Alternative forms
- hër (Portuguese based orthography)
Etymology
From Middle High German herre, from Old High German hēriro, hērro, the comparative form of hēr (“noble, venerable”) (German hehr), by analogy with Latin senior (“elder”).
Pronunciation
Pronoun
Herr m (plural Herre)
- Mr., mister, sir
- gentleman
- master, lord, generally denotes that somebody has control over something, either in a generic or in a regal sense
- Lord, God
- Used as a title of respect that is not translated into English or replaced with Sir
Further reading