to flirt
Loading your saved state.
to flirt
To show interest in another person in a playful, often nonverbal way in order to suggest romantic or sexual attraction.
Sie haben den ganzen Abend an der Bar miteinander geflirtet.
They flirted with each other at the bar all evening.
to flirt with
In a figurative sense: to toy with an idea or possibility without seriously committing to it.
Er flirtet schon länger mit der Idee, für ein Jahr ins Ausland zu gehen.
He has been flirting with the idea of going abroad for a year for quite some time.
The verb 'flirten' (to flirt) is always used with the preposition 'mit' (with) and the dative. This applies both to flirting with people and to toying with an idea.
Er hat auf der Party mit einer interessanten Frau geflirtet.
He flirted with an interesting woman at the party.
You can tell whether the romantic or the figurative meaning is intended from the object after 'mit' (with). If a person follows, it is romantic interest. If an idea or thought follows, it is about considering something.
Im Café flirtete er mit der Kellnerin.
In the café, he flirted with the waitress.
In the figurative meaning, 'flirten' (to flirt) is often combined with abstract nouns such as 'Idee' (idea), 'Gedanke' (thought), or 'Möglichkeit' (possibility).
Ich flirte schon lange mit der Möglichkeit, ein Sabbatical zu nehmen.
I have been flirting with the possibility of taking a sabbatical for a long time.
