Burnout-Erkenntnis: Wann du Hilfe brauchst

What does “nicht hinterherkommen” mean in German?

When this burnout checklist asks “kommst du nicht hinterher?” it’s using one of German’s most useful separable verbs: hinterherkommen, literally “to come after/behind.” Hinterherkommen means to keep pace with work, deadlines, or messages — so nicht hinterherkommen is the specific feeling of tasks piling up faster than you can clear them, one of the checklist’s first warning signs.

The verb splits in conversation: “Ich komme einfach nicht hinterher” (“I just can’t keep up”). It belongs to a small family built on hinterher- (“after, behind”): hinterherlaufen (to run after/chase), hinterherhinken (to lag behind, literally “to limp after”). All three describe someone or something struggling to catch up — useful vocabulary for talking about workload, deadlines, or trends.