blubbern
to bubble
To make a sound like rising or bursting air bubbles, especially when a liquid is boiling or moving.
EXAMPLE
Die Suppe blubbert leise im Topf.
The soup is bubbling quietly in the pot.
blubbern
to bubble / burble / mumble
blubbern – blubberte – hat geblubbert
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Meanings
blubbern
to burble
To make a deep, irregular sound reminiscent of air bubbles, especially an engine or exhaust.
EXAMPLE
Der alte Motor blubbert zufrieden vor sich hin.
The old engine burbles away contentedly.
blubbern
to mumble
To speak indistinctly or unintelligibly to oneself; informal usage.
EXAMPLE
Er blubberte etwas von einem wichtigen Termin, aber niemand verstand ihn.
He mumbled something about an important appointment, but nobody understood him.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry blubbern, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | blubbere blubbre |
|---|---|
| du | blubberst |
| er/sie/es | blubbert |
| wir | blubbern |
| ihr | blubbert |
| sie | blubbern |
Simple past
| ich | blubberte |
|---|---|
| du | blubbertest |
| er/sie/es | blubberte |
| wir | blubberten |
| ihr | blubbertet |
| sie | blubberten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe geblubbert |
|---|---|
| du | hast geblubbert |
| er/sie/es | hat geblubbert |
| wir | haben geblubbert |
| ihr | habt geblubbert |
| sie | haben geblubbert |
Commands
| du | blubbere! blubber!, blubbre! |
|---|---|
| ihr | blubbert! |
| Sie | blubbern Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte geblubbert |
|---|---|
| du | hattest geblubbert |
| er/sie/es | hatte geblubbert |
| wir | hatten geblubbert |
| ihr | hattet geblubbert |
| sie | hatten geblubbert |
Future
| ich | werde blubbern |
|---|---|
| du | wirst blubbern |
| er/sie/es | wird blubbern |
| wir | werden blubbern |
| ihr | werdet blubbern |
| sie | werden blubbern |
Subjunctive I
| ich | blubbere blubbre |
|---|---|
| du | blubberst |
| er/sie/es | blubbere blubbre |
| wir | blubbern |
| ihr | blubbert |
| sie | blubbern |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | blubberte |
|---|---|
| du | blubbertest |
| er/sie/es | blubberte |
| wir | blubberten |
| ihr | blubbertet |
| sie | blubberten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | blubbern |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu blubbern |
| present participle | blubbernd |
| past participle | geblubbert |
Usage tips
Onomatopoeic verb
'Blubbern' (to bubble / burble) is onomatopoeic: the sounds of the word itself suggest individual bubbles rising or bursting. This is why the verb is especially used for ongoing, irregular sounds.
EXAMPLE
Aus dem Abfluss blubberte es leise.
There was a quiet bubbling sound from the drain.
Im Glas blubberte die Limonade weiter.
The lemonade kept bubbling in the glass.
Vor sich hin
'Blubbern' (to bubble / burble / mumble) is often used with 'vor sich hin' (away / to oneself) when a sound or indistinct speech continues for a while without any clear purpose.
EXAMPLE
Der Motor blubberte vor sich hin, während wir auf den Abschleppdienst warteten.
The engine burbled away while we waited for roadside assistance.
Er blubberte vor sich hin und sah dabei aus dem Fenster.
He mumbled to himself while looking out of the window.
Typical collocations
With liquids, 'blubbern' (to bubble) is often associated with a container or a boiling liquid. Common combinations include 'im Topf blubbern' (to bubble in the pot), 'leise blubbern' (to bubble quietly), and 'vor sich hin blubbern' (to bubble away).
EXAMPLE
Die Soße blubberte im Topf, während sie eindickte.
The sauce bubbled in the pot as it thickened.
Informal usage
The sense referring to indistinct speech is informal and often sounds slightly mocking. In this usage, 'blubbern' (to mumble) usually does not describe clear, easily understandable speech.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf zu blubbern und sag deutlich, was du willst!
Stop mumbling and say clearly what you want!
In real life
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