weinen
to cry
To shed tears as an expression of sadness, pain, or joy.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind begann zu weinen, als es hinfiel.
The child began to cry when it fell down.
weinen
to cry
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Meanings
weinen um
to mourn
To grieve for a person or a loss and shed tears while doing so.
EXAMPLE
Sie weinte lange um ihren verstorbenen Hund.
She mourned her deceased dog for a long time.
weinen
to whine
Colloquial for complaining or whining about something.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf zu weinen und tu lieber etwas, um die Situation zu ändern.
Stop whining and do something to change the situation instead.
Usage tips
Prepositions for the reason
Different prepositions are used to state the reason for crying. 'Weinen vor' + dative expresses an immediate emotional cause (e.g., joy, anger, pain). 'Weinen über' + accusative describes what one is crying about (e.g., a film, a joke).
EXAMPLE
Sie weinte vor Erleichterung, als sie die gute Nachricht hörte.
She cried with relief when she heard the good news.
Typical adverbs
The verb 'weinen' (to cry) is often intensified with adverbs to describe intensity. Common combinations are 'bitterlich weinen' (to cry bitterly), 'herzzerreißend weinen' (to cry heartbreakingly), or 'leise weinen' (to cry quietly).
EXAMPLE
Nach der Trennung hat er wochenlang bitterlich geweint.
After the breakup, he cried bitterly for weeks.
Correct preposition
When 'weinen' (to mourn) means grieving for a person or a loss, the preposition 'um' with the accusative is always used. This construction expresses deep grief, often lasting for a longer time.
EXAMPLE
Die ganze Familie weinte um den verstorbenen Großvater.
The whole family mourned the deceased grandfather.
Register
In the meaning 'sich beklagen' (to complain) or 'jammern' (to whine), 'weinen' is colloquial. It is often used disparagingly to express that someone is complaining about trivial things.
EXAMPLE
Wein nicht wegen der kleinen Schramme, das ist doch nicht so schlimm!
Don't whine about the little scratch; it's really not that bad!
Compare with
weinen vs heulen
to cry / howl
Weinen and heulen can both express crying with tears. Heulen, however, sounds clearly more colloquial and often refers to especially loud or uncontrolled crying; it can also be derogatory. Use weinen for a neutral description and heulen when this stronger or coarser nuance is intended.
weinen
Das Kind weinte nach dem verlorenen Spiel leise in seinem Zimmer.
The child quietly cried in his room after losing the game.
heulen
Das Kind heulte nach dem verlorenen Spiel laut in seinem Zimmer.
The child loudly bawled in his room after losing the game.
In real life
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