English–German
“tell off” in German
German
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʃɪmpfən/
Example
Die Mutter schimpft mit dem Kind.
The mother is telling the child off.
How to say “tell off” in German
“Tell off” in German is schimpfen.
An angry speaker directs forceful words at a person or a subject of dissatisfaction.
Example sentences with schimpfen
Die Chefin schimpft den Praktikanten vor dem ganzen Team.
The boss told the intern off in front of the whole team.
Tips for using schimpfen
- With a person, "mit jemandem schimpfen" takes the dative, while "ueber etwas schimpfen" takes the accusative for the subject of complaint.