to smile
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to smile
To smile in a quiet, knowing, or amused way, often without opening one's mouth. It expresses an inner cheerfulness.
Sie musste schmunzeln, als sie an seine witzige Bemerkung dachte.
She had to smile when she thought of his funny remark.
To indicate the reason for the smile, you typically use the preposition 'über' followed by the accusative. You 'schmunzelt über' (smile about/at) a person, a situation, or a remark.
Er schmunzelte über den Witz seines Kollegen.
He smiled at his colleague's joke.
'Schmunzeln' describes a quiet, inward, and often knowing smile. It expresses amusement or amused approval rather than loud joy or open laughter.
Als sie das alte Foto sah, musste sie schmunzeln.
When she saw the old photo, she had to smile.
The verb can also be used without a preposition or object if it is clear from the context why someone is smiling. It then simply describes the act of smiling.
Er las die E-Mail und schmunzelte.
He read the email and smiled.
to laugh
'lachen' and 'schmunzeln' both show that you find something funny or pleasant. 'lachen' is stronger and usually audible. 'schmunzeln' is quieter and smaller; often you only see a slight smile. It fits when someone is inwardly amused but does not laugh out loud. The words can be confused because both respond to humor. As a simple guide: at a loud joke, you laugh; at a small, subtle, or quiet amusement, you 'schmunzeln'.
Frau Krüger schmunzelt, weil sie den kleinen Fehler sofort bemerkt.
Ms. Krüger smiles to herself because she notices the little mistake right away.
Herr Meier hat gelacht, als er die lustige Nachricht gelesen hat.
Mr. Meier laughed when he read the funny message.