01
schweigen
to be silent
To say nothing; to be quiet and not speak.
example
Als der Chef den Raum betrat, schwiegen plötzlich alle.
When the boss entered the room, everyone suddenly fell silent.
schweigen
to be silent
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Strong verb
'Schweigen' (to be silent) is a strong verb. The principal parts are 'schweigen – schwieg – hat geschwiegen' (to be silent – was silent – has been silent). Pay special attention to the past forms, which are often formed incorrectly.
EXAMPLE
Er schwieg den ganzen Abend.
He was silent the whole evening.
Word family
'Schweigen' (to be silent) is the basis for other important words. 'Das Schweigen' (silence) is the noun. The verb 'verschweigen' means to intentionally not say something.
EXAMPLE
Sein langes Schweigen machte mich nervös.
His long silence made me nervous.
Sentence structure: schweigen zu
When someone deliberately says nothing about a particular topic, you use the structure 'schweigen zu' (to remain silent about) + dative. This is typical for official statements, e.g. in politics or in court.
EXAMPLE
Der Politiker schwieg zu den Gerüchten.
The politician remained silent about the rumors.
Figurative meaning
The figurative meaning 'aufhören, aktiv zu sein' (to stop being active) is often used in a poetic or journalistic style. A well-known example is 'die Waffen schweigen' (the weapons fall silent), which means that a war or battle ends.
EXAMPLE
Alle hoffen, dass die Waffen bald schweigen.
Everyone hopes that the weapons will soon fall silent.
Compare with
schweigen vs sagen
to say
'sagen' and 'schweigen' form a clear contrast. With 'sagen', someone expresses something in words. With 'schweigen', someone says nothing. This can simply mean that a person is quiet. But it can also mean that someone deliberately says nothing about a topic, for example because it is secret or because they do not want to give an answer. Learners may confuse the words when conversations and information are involved. Remember: someone who 'sagt' something passes on information; someone who 'schweigt' holds it back or stays quiet.
schweigen
Mia hat zu Hause geschwiegen, obwohl alle nach dem Streit gefragt haben.
Mia stayed silent at home, even though everyone asked about the argument.
sagen
Beim Frühstück sagt meine Mutter, dass wir heute zum Amt gehen müssen.
At breakfast, my mother says that we have to go to the government office today.
In real life
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