# Usage of "sehnsucht" in an English work



## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 23, 2015)

I'm writing a scene where the main character is reflecting on the war he's been fighting in.  He considers his home and how badly he wants to return to it, and I use the following sentence to help describe that.

The thought of home struck Markus with an almost unbearable _sehnsucht_.

I know the sentence probably isn't that great to begin with, but would this be proper? Is "sehnsucht" a word that can be used inline with English words, like "non sequitur" and "carte blanche" are? Can I trust my readers to either know it or be willing to look it up? On the other hand, might this be considered pretentious, with my work being better served by a word like "yearning" or "longing"?


----------



## ppsage (Jun 23, 2015)

You are right that it's a dull sentence. Almost and unbearable are useless adjectives modifying something few will get anyway. In some contexts, the _sehnsucht_ could be characterizing, and, as part of a general vocabulary slant, might be workable if its meaning is carefully implied. Otherwise I wouldn't recommend. _Non sequitur_ and _carte blanche_ are 99 per-centers, practically English idiom. _Sehnsucht_ is a 1 per-center that's going to usually be too obscure. Not improper though -- just tricky.


----------



## Riis Marshall (Jun 23, 2015)

Hello Gamer

In this case I would use 'yearning' or 'longing'; I think 'sehnsucht' is pushing the envelope a bit. Yes, we use words like non sequitur, carte blanche, versus, quid pro quo, déjà vu, etc, etc, but outside of German class I don't think I have ever seen sehnsucht in print.

I wouldn't regard it as pretentious but I don't think it adds anything to your work; I think it would be a distraction to most readers.

Just my opinion.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


----------



## bazz cargo (Jun 23, 2015)

In what context? Is it a German character?


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 23, 2015)

bazz cargo said:


> In what context? Is it a German character?



Well, it is (or at least one who speaks German - he's Swiss), but it would have been the first and only instance of any foreign word in my book.


----------



## Sam (Jun 24, 2015)

It's no different than _Schadenfreude, doppelganger, gesundheit, ersatz, _and a dozen other German words found in the English language. It may be somewhat more obscure, but it if works, go with it. 

By the way: it's _Sehnsucht_, with a capital.


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 24, 2015)

Sam said:


> It's no different than _Schadenfreude, doppelganger, gesundheit, ersatz, _and a dozen other German words found in the English language. It may be somewhat more obscure, but it if works, go with it.
> 
> By the way: it's _Sehnsucht_, with a capital.



I'd ask if that's because it's a noun (since Germans capitalize nouns, if I recall correctly), but doppelganger is also a noun and we don't capitalize it.  Is that because it's common enough to become genericized, like "xerox" or "escalator"?


----------



## Sam (Jun 24, 2015)

German nouns are always capitalised, as you say, except in cases of adopted loanwords that are in regular use. _Doppelganger _is one such word. 

Hey, who ever said English made sense?


----------



## Riis Marshall (Jun 24, 2015)

Hello Gamer

I've just had a thought that might make sense:

If the theme - or one of the main themes of this work - is about yearning or longing, why not title it 'Sehnsucht' with a little forward note about this definition. It certainly would stand out on the book store shelves.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


----------

