lachen
to laugh
To express joy, amusement, or being entertained through facial expressions and sounds.
EXAMPLE
Der Witz war so gut, dass alle laut lachen mussten.
The joke was so good that everyone had to laugh out loud.
lachen
to laugh
lachen – lachte – hat gelacht
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Meanings
lachen über
to laugh at
To make fun of someone or something; to mock someone or something.
EXAMPLE
Es ist nicht nett, über die Fehler anderer zu lachen.
It's not nice to laugh at other people's mistakes.
nichts zu lachen haben
to have nothing to laugh about
To be in a difficult, serious, or unpleasant situation.
EXAMPLE
Seit er seinen Job verloren hat, hat er wirklich nichts mehr zu lachen.
Since he lost his job, he really has had nothing to laugh about.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry lachen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | lache |
|---|---|
| du | lachst |
| er/sie/es | lacht |
| wir | lachen |
| ihr | lacht |
| sie | lachen |
Simple past
| ich | lachte |
|---|---|
| du | lachtest |
| er/sie/es | lachte |
| wir | lachten |
| ihr | lachtet |
| sie | lachten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe gelacht |
|---|---|
| du | hast gelacht |
| er/sie/es | hat gelacht |
| wir | haben gelacht |
| ihr | habt gelacht |
| sie | haben gelacht |
Commands
| du | lache! lach! |
|---|---|
| ihr | lacht! |
| Sie | lachen Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte gelacht |
|---|---|
| du | hattest gelacht |
| er/sie/es | hatte gelacht |
| wir | hatten gelacht |
| ihr | hattet gelacht |
| sie | hatten gelacht |
Future
| ich | werde lachen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst lachen |
| er/sie/es | wird lachen |
| wir | werden lachen |
| ihr | werdet lachen |
| sie | werden lachen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | lache |
|---|---|
| du | lachest |
| er/sie/es | lache |
| wir | lachen |
| ihr | lachet |
| sie | lachen |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | lachte |
|---|---|
| du | lachtest |
| er/sie/es | lachte |
| wir | lachten |
| ihr | lachtet |
| sie | lachten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | lachen |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu lachen |
| present participle | lachend |
| past participle | gelacht |
Usage tips
Correct preposition
The verb 'lachen' (to laugh) is very often used with the preposition 'über' (about/at) and the accusative. This can mean that you find something funny or that you are making fun of someone.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben sehr über seinen Witz gelacht.
We laughed a lot at his joke.
Typical adverbs
To describe the type of laughter, 'lachen' (to laugh) is often combined with adverbs like 'laut' (loudly), 'herzlich' (heartily), or 'leise' (quietly). Colloquially, you also hear the expression 'sich kaputt lachen' (to laugh one's head off).
EXAMPLE
Sie hat so herzlich gelacht, dass alle mitlachen mussten.
She laughed so heartily that everyone had to laugh along.
Negative meaning
When 'lachen über' (to laugh at) refers to a person or their mistakes, it often has a negative, mocking meaning. It then means to make fun of someone.
EXAMPLE
Die anderen Kinder haben über seine alte Jacke gelacht.
The other children laughed at his old jacket.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'nichts zu lachen haben' (to have nothing to laugh about) is a fixed unit. It describes that a person is in a very serious or difficult life situation.
EXAMPLE
Mit drei kleinen Kindern und wenig Geld hat die Familie gerade nichts zu lachen.
With three small children and little money, the family currently has nothing to laugh about.
Compare with
lachen vs lächeln
to smile
Lachen and lächeln both express joy, friendliness, or amusement. Lachen normally also involves audible sounds, while lächeln refers to a silent facial expression. Use lachen for an audible reaction and lächeln when the person is reacting only in a friendly or quiet way.
lachen
Als der Schauspieler den Witz erzählte, begannen alle laut zu lachen.
When the actor told the joke, everyone started laughing loudly.
lächeln
Als der Schauspieler den Witz erzählte, musste sie nur leise lächeln.
When the actor told the joke, she could only smile quietly.
In real life
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