rauschen
to rustle / roar
To produce a continuous, soft, and indistinct sound, like that made by wind, water, or leaves.
EXAMPLE
Das Meer rauschte leise am Strand.
The sea roared softly on the beach.
rauschen
to rustle / hiss / sweep
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
rauschen
to hiss / crackle
To produce interference noise, such as hissing or crackling, especially with electronic devices like radios or speakers.
EXAMPLE
Das alte Radio rauscht nur noch.
The old radio only hisses now.
rauschen
to sweep
To move quickly, energetically, and often noisily, for example because of clothing.
EXAMPLE
Sie rauschte in einem eleganten Abendkleid in den Saal.
She swept into the hall in an elegant evening gown.
rauschen
to be splendid
In reference to a celebration or party: to be very lively, magnificent, and impressive.
EXAMPLE
Das Fest rauschte bis in die frühen Morgenstunden.
The celebration was splendid and went on until the early hours of the morning.
Usage tips
Context clue
The subject of the verb reveals the meaning. If it is nature (sea, wind, leaves), a sound is meant. With technical devices (radio), it means interference noise. If the subject is a person, it refers to quick movement.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind rauschte in den Baumkronen.
The wind rustled in the treetops.
Typical subjects
In the meaning of a natural sound, the most common subjects are 'das Meer' (the sea), 'der Wind' (the wind), 'die Blätter' (the leaves), 'ein Bach' (a stream), or 'ein Wasserfall' (a waterfall).
EXAMPLE
Wir saßen am Ufer und hörten den Bach rauschen.
We sat on the bank and listened to the stream rustling.
Sentence structure and movement
When 'rauschen' (to sweep) describes quick movement, it is almost always used with an indication of direction. Typical prepositions are 'in' (into), 'aus' (out of), 'durch' (through), or 'vorbei' (past).
EXAMPLE
Wütend rauschte sie aus dem Zimmer.
Angrily, she swept out of the room.
Participle as adjective
In connection with celebrations, the present participle 'rauschend' is often used as an adjective. 'Ein rauschendes Fest' is a very lively and magnificent celebration.
EXAMPLE
Das Brautpaar feierte eine rauschende Ballnacht.
The bride and groom celebrated a splendid ball night.
Compare with
rauschen vs Rausch
intoxication / rush / noise
In technology, Rausch is a random interference signal that overlays an actual signal. Here, rauschen is a verb describing an electronic device producing an audible interference noise. Rausch is the right term for the interference signal, while rauschen describes the device's behavior.
rauschen
Wegen derselben Störung rauscht der Lautsprecher des Empfängers.
Because of the same interference, the receiver's speaker is hissing.
Rausch
Ein zufälliger Rausch überlagert das schwache Signal des Empfängers.
Random noise is interfering with the receiver's weak signal.
In real life
Loading video examples...