verb
to go for a walk, to walk
B1
spazieren gehen: verb meaning 'to go for a walk' or 'to walk' (leisurely). It's non-reflexive, not separable, and uses sein as auxiliary in perfect (ist spazieren gegangen). Strong/irregular: Präteritum ging(en). Present participle spazierend. No special preposition required; typical intransitive motion verb.
Examples
Ich bin am Strand spazieren gegangen.
I went for a walk on the beach.
Er geht jeden Morgen eine Stunde spazieren.
He goes for a one-hour walk every morning.
Die Eltern gingen am Nachmittag spazieren, obwohl das Wetter schlechter wurde, und sie bemerkten, dass der Hund müde war.
The parents went for a walk in the afternoon, although the weather got worse, and they noticed that the dog was tired.
Details
Mnemonics
picture someone stepping outside of a spa and walking around the park — 'spazieren gehen' = go for a relaxing walk
think 'spa-TSIER-en' — 'spas' as relaxed places, so walking for leisure
Notes
A common two-word verb meaning to take a walk. Conjugated with the finite form of 'gehen' plus 'spazieren'. Uses 'sein' as auxiliary in perfect tenses (e.g., 'bin spazieren gegangen'). | Intransitive verb; passive forms are not applicable.