übernachten
/ˌyːbɐˈnaxtn̩/
Definition
To spend the night somewhere, especially away from home.
Example
Wir übernachten heute in einem kleinen Hotel.
Show translation
We are staying the night in a small hotel.
Etymology
From *über* ("over, through") + *Nacht* ("night") + verbal suffix *-en*. The compound literally means "to go through the night," parallel to English "overnight." The prefix *über-* here carries a temporal sense of duration, as in *überwintern* ("to overwinter").
Cultural note
Germany has a rich culture of budget travel, with a dense network of *Jugendherbergen* (youth hostels) — Germany invented the concept in 1914. When Germans ask "Wo übernachtest du?" they may well expect an answer involving a hostel, a guesthouse (*Pension*), or a friend's couch. Note: *übernachten* is intransitive; you cannot say *ich übernachte das Hotel* — you need *in* + dative: *im Hotel übernachten*.