to rattle / chatter
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to rattle
To produce a repeated, short, hard, and often irregular noise that occurs when solid objects loosely strike against each other.
Die alten Fensterläden klapperten die ganze Nacht im Wind.
The old shutters rattled in the wind all night.
'Klappern' (to rattle) is an onomatopoeic word. The sound of the word imitates the noise it describes—a short, hard striking together.
Ich hörte die Tasten der alten Schreibmaschine klappern.
I heard the keys of the old typewriter rattling.
In this meaning, the thing that makes the noise is the subject of the sentence. The cause of the noise is often added with a preposition, such as 'im Wind' (in the wind).
Das Geschirr klapperte auf dem Tablett.
The dishes rattled on the tray.
The expression 'mit den Zähnen klappern' (to chatter one's teeth) is fixed. The person who is freezing or afraid is the subject of the sentence.
Er stand nur im T-Shirt draußen und klapperte vor Kälte mit den Zähnen.
He stood outside wearing only a T-shirt and chattered his teeth from the cold.
The expression 'Klappern gehört zum Handwerk' (advertising is part of the job) is a proverb. It is used to justify talking about your own successes or promoting yourself.
Er lobt seine eigene Arbeit ständig, aber er sagt immer: Klappern gehört zum Handwerk.
He constantly praises his own work, but he always says: Advertising is part of the job.
to tremble
'zittern' and 'klappern' can both show that someone is losing control of their body because of cold or fear. 'zittern' generally describes the quick, involuntary movement of the body, hands, or voice. In this context, 'klappern' is used especially for the teeth: the teeth strike together audibly. Learners may confuse the words because both occur with cold or fear. As a guide: the body 'zittert', but the teeth 'klappern'.
Vor der Prüfung klapperten Max die Zähne vor Nervosität.
Before the exam, Max's teeth were chattering from nervousness.
Nach der langen Fahrt im Regen zitterte ich am ganzen Körper.
After the long ride in the rain, my whole body was trembling.