Herbstferien

autumn half-term holiday

noun HERBST-feh-ree-en Rare

Also means

fall break

Usage Note

Herbstferien are the school holidays in autumn, typically one to two weeks in October. The exact dates vary by German federal state. They are a key school holiday period for family travel and the term is universally understood in everyday German.

Examples

"In den Herbstferien fahren wir zu den Großeltern."

Natural Translation

During the autumn holidays we visit our grandparents.

Literal Translation

In the autumn-holidays drive we to the grandparents.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read