Herberge

inn

noun HAIR-bair-guh Rare

Origin: from Old High German heriberga (army shelter)

Also means

lodging

Usage Note

Herberge is a feminine, somewhat literary word for simple lodging. Today it survives mostly in Jugendherberge (youth hostel) but appears in older texts and pilgrim contexts. Plural: Herbergen.

Examples

"Die Pilger suchten am Abend eine einfache Herberge."

Natural Translation

In the evening the pilgrims looked for a simple inn.

Literal Translation

The pilgrims sought at-the evening a simple inn.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read