das Heulen
howling
Loud and often prolonged crying in which someone makes plaintive or whimpering sounds.
EXAMPLE
Das Heulen des Kindes war bis in den Flur zu hören.
The child's howling could be heard all the way into the hallway.
das Heulen
howling / crying
das Heulen
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Meanings
das Heulen
howling
A long, plaintive sound made by animals, especially dogs or wolves.
EXAMPLE
In der Nacht hörten wir das Heulen der Wölfe.
At night, we heard the howling of the wolves.
das Heulen
howling
A prolonged, plaintive sound produced, for example, by the wind, a siren, or a machine.
EXAMPLE
Das Heulen der Sirenen weckte die ganze Nachbarschaft.
The howling of the sirens woke the whole neighborhood.
zum Heulen
enough to make you cry
An informal expression for something that is very sad, frustrating, or bad and almost makes you cry.
EXAMPLE
Diese schlechte Nachricht ist wirklich zum Heulen.
This bad news is really enough to make you cry.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Heulen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Heulens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Heulen | – |
| accusative | das Heulen | – |
| dative | dem Heulen | – |
| genitive | des Heulens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
“Das Heulen” (howling) is a nominalized infinitive of the verb “heulen” (to howl / to cry). The word therefore refers to the process or sound as a whole.
EXAMPLE
Plötzlich hörten wir draußen ein lautes Heulen.
Suddenly, we heard a loud howling outside.
Context clue
A genitive phrase or a complement with “von” (of / from) often names the source of the howling. The source mentioned tells you whether it refers to a person, an animal, or a sound.
EXAMPLE
Das Heulen des Babys wurde langsam leiser.
The baby's howling gradually grew quieter.
Das Heulen der Hunde dauerte die ganze Nacht.
The dogs' howling lasted all night.
Das Heulen von Wind und Sirenen war draußen deutlich zu hören.
The howling of the wind and sirens was clearly audible outside.
Typical collocations
When referring to human crying, “Heulen” (howling / crying) frequently occurs with verbs such as “anfangen” (to start) or “aufhören” (to stop). The expression “in Heulen ausbrechen” (to burst into tears) is also possible.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Niederlage fing der Junge mit dem Heulen an.
After the defeat, the boy started crying.
Sources of noise
For technical or natural sounds, “Heulen” (howling) is frequently associated with sources such as sirens, wind, or machines. These combinations usually describe a long, unpleasant sound.
EXAMPLE
Das Heulen der alten Maschine war im ganzen Gebäude zu hören.
The howling of the old machine could be heard throughout the building.
Fixed expression
“Zum Heulen” (enough to make you cry) is usually used predicatively in the structure “etwas ist zum Heulen” (something is enough to make you cry) or “es ist zum Heulen” (it's enough to make you cry). The expression is informal and conveys a very negative judgment.
EXAMPLE
Der Zustand der Wohnung ist wirklich zum Heulen.
The condition of the apartment is really enough to make you cry.
In real life
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