krabbeln
to crawl
To move on all fours, as babies do before they learn to walk.
EXAMPLE
Unser Sohn hat mit acht Monaten angefangen zu krabbeln.
Our son started crawling at eight months.
krabbeln
to crawl
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Meanings
krabbeln
to crawl
The typical way insects or spiders move.
EXAMPLE
Eine Spinne krabbelte die Wand hoch.
A spider crawled up the wall.
krabbeln
to itch / prickle
To cause a prickling or itchy feeling on the skin.
EXAMPLE
Der Wollpullover krabbelt auf meiner Haut.
The wool sweater itches against my skin.
Usage tips
Perfect tense with 'sein'
As a verb of movement, 'krabbeln' (to crawl) forms the perfect tense with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have). This applies to all meanings of the word.
EXAMPLE
Das Baby ist schon durch das ganze Wohnzimmer gekrabbelt.
The baby has already crawled through the whole living room.
Context clue
The exact meaning of 'krabbeln' (to crawl) depends strongly on the subject of the sentence. If it is a baby, it means moving on all fours. With insects, it means their typical movement.
EXAMPLE
Mein kleiner Neffe kann schon schneller krabbeln als ich laufen kann.
My little nephew can already crawl faster than I can walk.
Describing a feeling
When 'krabbeln' describes an itchy feeling, the subject is often an object, such as an item of clothing. It can also be used impersonally with 'es' (it), with the person feeling it in the dative case.
EXAMPLE
Dieser neue Schal krabbelt an meinem Hals.
This new scarf itches against my neck.
Compare with
krabbeln vs robben
to crawl
Both words describe moving close to the ground. When you robben, your body lies on your stomach and is pulled across the ground; when you krabbeln, you typically move on your hands and knees. For the exact body position, robben or krabbeln is therefore the appropriate choice.
krabbeln
Das Baby krabbelt auf Händen und Knien über den Teppich.
The baby crawls across the carpet on its hands and knees.
robben
Das Baby robbt auf dem Bauch über den Teppich.
The baby crawls across the carpet on its stomach.
In real life
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