particle
back- (prefix), retro-
B1
rück-: bound prefix meaning back- or retro-, used to form compounds (e.g., rückläufig, rückwirkend). It’s written with a hyphen to show combining use and is not a standalone word. Note distinction: zurück (separable adverb/prefix) is used with verbs; rück- appears in adjectives/nouns and technical compounds.
Examples
In zusammengesetzten Wörtern wie Rückfahrt bedeutet rück- 'back' oder 'return'.
In compound words like 'Rückfahrt', rück- means 'back' or 'return'.
Der Anwalt sagte, dass die Zahlung rück-überwiesen wurde, weil ein Fehler auftrat.
The lawyer said that the payment was transferred back because an error occurred.
Das Affix rück- zeigt oft eine Bewegung zurück: zum Beispiel in Rückkehr.
The prefix rück- often indicates a movement back: for example in 'Rückkehr'.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine the prefix stuck to the front of a word and pushing it backward, like an arrow pointing back.
rück- sounds like 'wreck' but think 'rück' = back.
Notes
rück- is an affix/prefix that appears in many compounds; sometimes the full form 'zurück-' or 'herunter-' may be used depending on register.