schnattern
to chatter
To talk quickly and loudly, often about many unimportant things.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden schnatterten den ganzen Nachmittag über ihre Nachbarn.
The two of them chattered about their neighbors all afternoon.
schnattern
to chatter
schnattern – schnatterte – hat geschnattert
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Meanings
schnattern
to chatter / quack
To produce a rapid succession of high-pitched sounds, as ducks and geese in particular do.
EXAMPLE
Die Enten schnatterten laut am Teich.
The ducks chattered loudly by the pond.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry schnattern, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | schnattere schnattre |
|---|---|
| du | schnatterst |
| er/sie/es | schnattert |
| wir | schnattern |
| ihr | schnattert |
| sie | schnattern |
Simple past
| ich | schnatterte |
|---|---|
| du | schnattertest |
| er/sie/es | schnatterte |
| wir | schnatterten |
| ihr | schnattertet |
| sie | schnatterten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe geschnattert |
|---|---|
| du | hast geschnattert |
| er/sie/es | hat geschnattert |
| wir | haben geschnattert |
| ihr | habt geschnattert |
| sie | haben geschnattert |
Commands
| du | schnatter! schnattere!, schnattre! |
|---|---|
| ihr | schnattert! |
| Sie | schnattern Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte geschnattert |
|---|---|
| du | hattest geschnattert |
| er/sie/es | hatte geschnattert |
| wir | hatten geschnattert |
| ihr | hattet geschnattert |
| sie | hatten geschnattert |
Future
| ich | werde schnattern |
|---|---|
| du | wirst schnattern |
| er/sie/es | wird schnattern |
| wir | werden schnattern |
| ihr | werdet schnattern |
| sie | werden schnattern |
Subjunctive I
| ich | schnattere schnattre |
|---|---|
| du | schnatterst |
| er/sie/es | schnattere schnattre |
| wir | schnattern |
| ihr | schnattert |
| sie | schnattern |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | schnatterte |
|---|---|
| du | schnattertest |
| er/sie/es | schnatterte |
| wir | schnatterten |
| ihr | schnattertet |
| sie | schnatterten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | schnattern |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu schnattern |
| present participle | schnatternd |
| past participle | geschnattert |
Usage tips
Typical collocations
Common collocations include „aufgeregt schnattern“ (to chatter excitedly), „durcheinander schnattern“ (to chatter all at once), and „ununterbrochen schnattern“ (to chatter nonstop). These can be used for both people and ducks or geese.
EXAMPLE
Als wir ans Ufer kamen, schnatterten die Gänse aufgeregt durcheinander.
When we reached the shore, the geese were chattering excitedly all at once.
Conversation partner and topic
The conversation partner can be named with „mit“ and the dative case. The topic of conversation follows „über“ and takes the accusative case.
EXAMPLE
Im Bus schnatterte sie mit ihrer Freundin.
She chattered with her friend on the bus.
Die Gäste schnatterten über den neuesten Klatsch.
The guests chattered about the latest gossip.
Derogatory tone
When referring to people, „schnattern“ (to chatter) is colloquial and often slightly derogatory. Using it frequently indicates that the speaker is annoyed by the talking or does not take the conversation seriously.
EXAMPLE
Müsst ihr während des ganzen Films schnattern?
Do you have to chatter throughout the entire movie?
In real life
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