to nod
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to nod
To briefly lower and raise the head, usually as a sign of agreement, greeting, or understanding.
Auf meine Frage, ob alles in Ordnung sei, nickte sie nur stumm.
When I asked whether everything was all right, she only nodded silently.
to nod toward
To indicate something or someone with a movement of the head in order to draw attention to it.
Der Kellner nickte unauffällig in Richtung des freien Tisches am Fenster.
The waiter nodded discreetly toward the free table by the window.
to nod off
To be on the verge of falling asleep from tiredness, with the head involuntarily sinking forward or to the side.
Während der langen Präsentation saß er in der letzten Reihe und nickte immer wieder.
During the long presentation, he sat in the last row and kept nodding off.
Although 'nicken' (to nod) describes a movement, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have), not with 'sein' (to be).
Er hat zur Begrüßung freundlich genickt.
He nodded kindly in greeting.
To express that you nod to a specific person (as a greeting or sign), you can combine the verb with 'zu': 'jemandem zunicken' (to nod to someone). The 'zu' is attached to the verb and emphasizes the direction.
Als sie den Raum betrat, nickte sie ihrem Kollegen kurz zu.
When she entered the room, she gave her colleague a brief nod.
To describe the manner of nodding, the verb is often combined with adverbs. Typical phrases are 'zustimmend nicken' (to nod in agreement), 'ermutigend nicken' (to nod encouragingly), or 'stumm nicken' (to nod silently).
Der Lehrer nickte zustimmend, als die Schülerin die richtige Antwort gab.
The teacher nodded in agreement when the student gave the correct answer.
When 'nicken' (to nod) means to point something out, the verb needs a preposition with a direction. Common phrases are 'in Richtung … nicken' (to nod in the direction of …) or 'zum/zur … nicken' (to nod toward the …).
Er sagte nichts, sondern nickte nur in Richtung der offenen Tür.
He said nothing, but only nodded toward the open door.
The meaning 'to let one's head sink from tiredness' can be recognized from context. Typical situations are long lectures, journeys, or sitting in front of the TV late in the evening.
Am Ende des langen Arbeitstages nickte sie vor dem Computer immer wieder.
At the end of the long workday, she kept nodding off in front of the computer.
