singen
to sing
To produce melodies and tones with one's own voice, often together with lyrics.
EXAMPLE
Meine Tochter liebt es, im Chor zu singen.
My daughter loves singing in the choir.
singen
to sing
singen – sang – hat gesungen
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Meanings
singen
to sing
The characteristic, often melodious sounds made by birds or some insects.
EXAMPLE
Im Frühling hört man morgens die Vögel singen.
In spring, you can hear the birds singing in the morning.
singen
to sing
Colloquial for making a confession or informing on other people to the police.
EXAMPLE
Nach stundenlangem Verhör hat der Verdächtige schließlich gesungen.
After hours of questioning, the suspect finally sang.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry singen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | singe |
|---|---|
| du | singst |
| er/sie/es | singt |
| wir | singen |
| ihr | singt |
| sie | singen |
Simple past
| ich | sang |
|---|---|
| du | sangst |
| er/sie/es | sang |
| wir | sangen |
| ihr | sangt |
| sie | sangen |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe gesungen |
|---|---|
| du | hast gesungen |
| er/sie/es | hat gesungen |
| wir | haben gesungen |
| ihr | habt gesungen |
| sie | haben gesungen |
Commands
| du | singe! sing! |
|---|---|
| ihr | singt! |
| Sie | singen Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte gesungen |
|---|---|
| du | hattest gesungen |
| er/sie/es | hatte gesungen |
| wir | hatten gesungen |
| ihr | hattet gesungen |
| sie | hatten gesungen |
Future
| ich | werde singen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst singen |
| er/sie/es | wird singen |
| wir | werden singen |
| ihr | werdet singen |
| sie | werden singen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | singe |
|---|---|
| du | singest |
| er/sie/es | singe |
| wir | singen |
| ihr | singet |
| sie | singen |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | sänge |
|---|---|
| du | sängest sängst |
| er/sie/es | sänge |
| wir | sängen |
| ihr | sänget sängt |
| sie | sängen |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | singen |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu singen |
| present participle | singend |
| past participle | gesungen |
Usage tips
Singing for someone
To express whom someone is singing for, the dative is often used. The thing being sung, for example 'ein Lied' (a song), is then in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Der Vater singt seinem Kind jeden Abend ein Schlaflied.
The father sings his child a lullaby every evening.
Typical collocations
'Singen' (to sing) is often combined with the object 'ein Lied' (a song). Other common expressions describe the place or group, such as 'im Chor singen' (to sing in the choir), 'in einer Band singen' (to sing in a band), or 'unter der Dusche singen' (to sing in the shower).
EXAMPLE
Er singt seit fünf Jahren in einem bekannten Chor.
He has been singing in a well-known choir for five years.
Context: birds
If the subject of the sentence is a bird (e.g., 'der Vogel' (the bird), 'die Amsel' (the blackbird)), 'singen' (to sing) describes the animal's typical, often melodious sound. It is the standard verb for this.
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe es, im Wald spazieren zu gehen und die Vögel singen zu hören.
I love going for walks in the forest and hearing the birds sing.
Colloquial meaning
In colloquial language, especially in the context of crime, 'singen' (to sing) means that a person confesses to the police or betrays their partners. This use is purely metaphorical.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Verhör hat der Angeklagte endlich gesungen.
After the long interrogation, the defendant finally sang.
Compare with
singen vs verraten
to reveal / betray
When talking about accomplices, both „singen“ and „verraten“ can fit. „Singen“ is a colloquial way of saying that someone confesses to the police or names other people; „verraten“ emphasizes the disloyal disclosure of information. Use „singen“ in a colloquial tone and „verraten“ in a more neutral or evaluative way.
singen
Nach stundenlangen Fragen beginnt der Verdächtige zu singen und nennt seine Mittäter.
After hours of questioning, the suspect starts singing and names his accomplices.
verraten
Nach stundenlangen Fragen verrät der Verdächtige seine Mittäter.
After hours of questioning, the suspect betrays his accomplices.
In real life
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