Illustration of the A1 German word “öffnen”, which translates to “to open”. A magical door opening to reveal a world of light
Learn this word for free

öffnen is one of the A1 words in the free course — with this picture, the audio, and spaced repetition.

öffnen

to open

/ˈœfnən/

Conjugation

Principal parts

öffnen, öffnete, hat geöffnet

ich öffne
du öffnest
er/sie/es öffnet
wir öffnen
ihr öffnet
sie/Sie öffnen

Practice "öffnen"

Examples — öffnen in a sentence

Kannst du das Fenster öffnen?

Can you open the window?

Der Laden öffnet um acht Uhr.

The shop opens at eight o'clock.

How to remember it

"Öffnen" — open wide.

More A1 words

Illustration of the B1 German word “pfeifen”, which translates to “to whistle”. A marmot purses its lips and whistles so hard that its cheeks balloon, and the visible ring of sound blasts the hats off a whole row of astonished sheep.
pfeifen

/ˈp͡faɪ̯fn̩/

Tap to see details

to whistle

Principal parts

pfeifen, pfiff, hat gepfiffen

ich pfeife
du pfeifst
er/sie/es pfeift
wir pfeifen
ihr pfeift
sie/Sie pfeifen

Examples

Er pfeift ein Lied.

He whistles a tune.

Der Schiedsrichter pfiff das Spiel ab.

The referee blew the whistle to end the game.

Illustration of the B1 German word “preisen”, which translates to “to praise”. A sunflower with a beaming blushing face is showered in a burst of golden petals from above, leaning back and glowing with delighted embarrassment.
preisen

/ˈpʁaɪ̯zn̩/

to praise

Principal parts

preisen, pries, hat gepriesen

ich preise
du preist
er/sie/es preist
wir preisen
ihr preist
sie/Sie preisen

Examples

Wir preisen seinen Mut.

We praise his courage.

Der Dichter pries die Schönheit der Natur.

The poet praised the beauty of nature.

Illustration of the A2 German word “raten”, which translates to “to advise, guess”. A puzzled bear scratches its head before three identical closed boxes, finger hovering uncertainly, trying to guess which one hides the prize.
raten

/ˈʁaːtn̩/

to advise, guess

Principal parts

raten, riet, hat geraten

ich rate
du rätst
er/sie/es rät
wir raten
ihr ratet
sie/Sie raten

Examples

Ich rate dir, vorsichtig zu sein.

I advise you to be careful.

Er riet ihr zur Geduld.

He advised her to be patient.

Illustration of the B1 German word “die Ratenzahlung”, which translates to “installment payment”. A big coin is sliced into a row of equal wedges, one wedge floating off each month past a calendar.
die Ratenzahlung

/ˈʁaːtn̩ˌt͡saːlʊŋ/

installment payment

Examples

Ich zahle per Ratenzahlung.

I pay in installments.

Ratenzahlung ist hier möglich.

Payment in installments is possible here.

Illustration of the A2 German word “reiben”, which translates to “to rub”. A sleepy koala vigorously rubs its tired eyes with both fuzzy paws, cheeks scrunched, little motion-blur lines showing the furious rubbing.
reiben

/ˈʁaɪ̯bn̩/

to rub

Principal parts

reiben, rieb, hat gerieben

ich reibe
du reibst
er/sie/es reibt
wir reiben
ihr reibt
sie/Sie reiben

Examples

Ich reibe mir die Augen.

I rub my eyes.

Sie rieb die Stelle sauber.

She rubbed the spot clean.

Illustration of the A2 German word “reißen”, which translates to “to tear”. A fierce little terrier yanks a thick rope clean in two with a mighty tug, tumbling backward as it tears apart, ears flying.
reißen

/ˈʁaɪ̯sn̩/

to tear

Principal parts

reißen, riss, hat gerissen

ich reiße
du reißt
er/sie/es reißt
wir reißen
ihr reißt
sie/Sie reißen

Examples

Reiß das Papier nicht!

Don't tear the paper!

Der Sturm riss den Baum um.

The storm tore down the tree.

1 / 6

pfeifen — to whistle

pfeifenpreisenratenRatenzahlungreibenreißenAll German word pages

Start learning German.
For real this time.

Personalized study plan, exercises, and the full 8-unit A1 course. A1 free forever — plus 14 days of full access, no card needed.

Start A1 free