flüstern
to whisper
To speak very quietly, mainly using breath rather than the vocal cords, so that only people very close by can hear it.
EXAMPLE
Er flüsterte ihr ein Geheimnis ins Ohr.
He whispered a secret into her ear.
flüstern
to whisper
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Meanings
flüstern
to whisper
To make a very quiet, rustling, or murmuring sound. Often used for sounds of nature, such as wind or leaves.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind flüsterte in den Baumkronen.
The wind whispered in the treetops.
flüstern
to whisper
To spread rumors or confidential information secretly and quietly.
EXAMPLE
Man flüstert, dass der Direktor bald zurücktreten wird.
People are whispering that the director will soon resign.
Usage tips
Sentence structure and usage patterns
When one person whispers something to another, a dative and accusative construction is often used: 'jemandem (dative) etwas (accusative) flüstern' (to whisper something to someone). The preposition 'ins Ohr' (into the ear) is often added to make the action clear.
EXAMPLE
Sie flüsterte ihm eine kurze Nachricht zu.
She whispered a short message to him.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning for quiet sounds, 'flüstern' (to whisper) is often used personifying elements of nature. Typical subjects are 'der Wind' (the wind) or 'die Blätter' (the leaves).
EXAMPLE
Die Blätter flüsterten im leichten Abendwind.
The leaves whispered in the light evening wind.
Sentence structure for rumors
To express that a rumor is being spread, the impersonal construction 'man flüstert, dass ...' (people are whispering that ...) or 'es wird geflüstert, dass ...' (it is being whispered that ...) is often used. This emphasizes that the source of the rumor is unknown.
EXAMPLE
Man flüstert, dass die Firma bald verkauft wird.
People are whispering that the company will soon be sold.
Compare with
flüstern vs murmeln
to murmur / to play marbles
Both words describe speaking very quietly. When you whisper, you mainly use your breath, whereas murmuring often sounds indistinct and monotonous. Use „flüstern“ when the quiet way of speaking is the main point, and „murmeln“ when the words are also difficult to understand.
flüstern
Damit die anderen Gäste nichts hörten, flüsterte Anna ihrem Bruder eine kurze Nachricht zu.
So the other guests would not hear, Anna whispered a short message to her brother.
murmeln
Weil er sehr müde war, murmelte der Mann seine Antwort so undeutlich, dass niemand sie verstand.
Because he was very tired, the man mumbled his answer so indistinctly that no one understood it.
In real life
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