01
läuten
to ring
To produce or cause the sound of a bell, for example with a church bell or a doorbell.
example
Die Glocken der Kirche läuten jeden Sonntag um zehn Uhr.
The church bells ring every Sunday at ten o'clock.
läuten
to ring
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Sentence structure and subject
The subject of the sentence is often the thing that makes the sound, e.g., 'die Glocke' (the bell) or 'die Klingel' (the doorbell). Alternatively, the impersonal pronoun 'es' (it) is often used as the subject.
EXAMPLE
Die alte Kirchenglocke läutet nicht mehr.
The old church bell no longer rings.
Fixed expression
The colloquial meaning 'sich vage erinnern' (to vaguely remember) is used in a fixed expression: 'bei jemandem läutet etwas' (something rings a bell for someone). The person who remembers is in the dative after the preposition 'bei'.
EXAMPLE
Moment, bei dem Namen läutet es bei mir. Ich glaube, ich kenne ihn.
Wait, that name rings a bell for me. I think I know him.
Typical collocations
In the literal meaning, 'läuten' (to ring) is often connected with things that have a bell. Typical examples are: 'die Türklingel läutet' (the doorbell rings), 'der Wecker läutet' (the alarm clock rings), or 'die Kirchenglocken läuten' (the church bells ring).
EXAMPLE
Mein Wecker läutet jeden Morgen um sechs Uhr.
My alarm clock rings every morning at six o'clock.
School context
In the context of school or work, 'läuten' (to ring) signals the beginning or end of a unit of time. It is often combined with 'zur Pause' (for recess/break) or 'zum Unterricht' (for class).
EXAMPLE
Als es zum Ende der Stunde läutete, packten alle ihre Sachen ein.
When the bell rang for the end of the lesson, everyone packed up their things.
Compare with
läuten vs klingen
to sound
'klingen' and 'läuten' both have to do with audible sounds. 'klingen' is more general: music, voices, or objects can 'klingen' when they have or produce a tone or sound. 'läuten' is used mainly for bells, doorbells, or signals that indicate a beginning or an end. Learners may confuse the words because both describe a noise. As a practical rule: if it is about a bell or doorbell, 'läuten' is more precise; for a general sound, 'klingen' is more natural.
läuten
Nach der Pause läutet die Schulglocke, und alle gehen zurück in die Klasse.
After the break, the school bell rings, and everyone goes back to class.
klingen
Die alte Gitarre klingt noch immer sehr warm.
The old guitar still sounds very warm.
In real life
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