to shake
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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.
to shake one's head
To move the head from side to side as a sign of negation, doubt, or rejection.
Auf die Frage, ob er etwas gesehen habe, schüttelte der Zeuge nur den Kopf.
When asked whether he had seen anything, the witness only shook his head.
to tremble / shake
An involuntary trembling of the body due to cold, fear, disgust, or after getting wet.
Der Gedanke an die Prüfung ließ ihn sich vor Nervosität schütteln.
The thought of the exam made him shake with nervousness.
to shake hands
To give someone your hand as a greeting, farewell, or sign of agreement.
Nach der Vertragsunterzeichnung schüttelten sich die Geschäftspartner die Hände.
After signing the contract, the business partners shook hands.
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 tremble
Schütteln and zittern can both describe an involuntary movement of the body caused by cold or fear. Schütteln suggests a more pronounced movement of the whole body, while zittern emphasizes fine, rapid trembling. For slight trembling, zittern is usually the better choice, though the two words can overlap.
Nach dem Sprung ins kalte Wasser schüttelte sich der Hund kräftig.
After jumping into the cold water, the dog shook itself vigorously.
Nach dem Sprung ins kalte Wasser zitterte der Hund noch eine Weile.
After jumping into the cold water, the dog continued to tremble for a while.
