to shake
Loading your saved state.
to shake
To move something quickly and forcefully back and forth or up and down, often in order to mix contents or loosen something.
Vor dem Öffnen muss man die Flasche mit dem Orangensaft gut schütteln.
Before opening it, you have to shake the bottle of orange juice well.
You can recognize the exact meaning of 'schütteln' (to shake) from the object or pronoun. You shake a bottle (object), your head (object), hands (object), or you shake yourself (reflexive pronoun).
Er schüttelte die Farbdose kräftig.
He shook the paint can vigorously.
In the meaning of 'zittern' (to tremble), 'schütteln' (to shake) is always used reflexively. The reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, etc.) must be adapted to the person.
Mir war so kalt, dass ich mich am ganzen Körper schüttelte.
I was so cold that my whole body was shaking.
The expression 'den Kopf schütteln' (to shake one's head) is fixed and usually means rejection, doubt, or a silent 'no'. The object here is always 'den Kopf' in the accusative.
Er fragte, ob sie mit dem Vorschlag einverstanden sei, aber sie schüttelte nur den Kopf.
He asked whether she agreed with the proposal, but she only shook her head.
When one person gives another person their hand, you use the structure 'jemandem die Hand schütteln' (to shake someone's hand). The person receiving the handshake is in the dative.
Zur Begrüßung schüttelte der Kanzler jedem Gast die Hand.
As a greeting, the chancellor shook every guest's hand.
to greet / welcome
'begrüßen' and 'Hände schütteln' can both be part of an encounter. 'begrüßen' is more general: you can welcome someone with words, a smile, a hug, or a gesture. 'Hände schütteln' (to shake hands) is a specific kind of greeting where you give the other person your hand. It often fits more formal situations, for example at an appointment or at work. So you can greet someone without shaking their hand.
Nach dem Gespräch schüttelte der Kunde dem Handwerker die Hand.
After the conversation, the customer shook the craftsman's hand.
Am Eingang begrüßt Frau Müller die Gäste mit einem freundlichen Lächeln.
At the entrance, Ms. Müller greets the guests with a friendly smile.