donnern
to thunder
To make a loud, deep, rumbling sound, like the thunder that occurs during a storm.
EXAMPLE
Es blitzte und donnerte die ganze Nacht.
There was lightning and thunder all night.
donnern
to thunder
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Meanings
donnern
to thunder
To move at great speed with a loud noise or to crash into something.
EXAMPLE
Die Wellen donnerten gegen die Klippen.
The waves thundered against the cliffs.
donnern
to thunder
To speak in a very loud, often angry or commanding tone.
EXAMPLE
„Ruhe jetzt!“, donnerte der Lehrer in die laute Klasse.
'Quiet now!' thundered the teacher into the noisy class.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'donnern' (to thunder) is closely related to the noun 'der Donner' (thunder). It is an onomatopoeic word, meaning the sound of the word imitates the noise it describes.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Gewitter war der Donner extrem laut.
During the storm, the thunder was extremely loud.
Context clue
The subject of the sentence tells you the meaning. If the subject is 'es' (it), it is about the weather. If it is an object like 'Wellen' (waves) or 'LKW' (truck), it is about loud movement. If it is a person, it is about loud speaking.
EXAMPLE
Gestern Abend hat es stark gedonnert.
Yesterday evening it thundered heavily.
Sentence structure with weather
When 'donnern' (to thunder) describes the weather, it is always used with the impersonal pronoun 'es' (it) as the subject. The verb then stands in position 2 in the main clause.
EXAMPLE
Schau mal, wie dunkel der Himmel ist, es wird gleich donnern.
Look how dark the sky is; it will thunder any moment.
Use with prepositions
In the meaning 'to move loudly', 'donnern' (to thunder) is often combined with prepositions that indicate a direction or place. Typical ones are 'gegen' (against), 'an' (against/at), 'über' (over/across), or 'durch' (through).
EXAMPLE
Die Wellen donnerten gegen die Felsen am Ufer.
The waves thundered against the rocks on the shore.
Compare with
donnern vs brüllen
to roar / yell
Brüllen and donnern can both describe a very loud utterance by an angry person. Brüllen emphasizes that someone is shouting, while donnern is used more for a deep, forceful, commanding tone that does not necessarily involve shouting. Choose brüllen for loud yelling and donnern for a booming address.
donnern
Der wütende Chef donnert dem Mitarbeiter eine kurze Anweisung zu.
The angry boss thunders a brief instruction at the employee.
brüllen
Der wütende Chef brüllt den Mitarbeiter vor allen Kollegen an.
The angry boss yells at the employee in front of all his colleagues.
In real life
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