German word

füllen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfʏlən/

Meaning

  • verbfill

Example

Ich fülle das Glas mit Wasser.

I fill the glass with water.

Illustration for füllen (fill)

More examples

Sie füllt die Tasche mit Büchern.

She fills the bag with books.

Core concept

Something is added inside a vessel or space until its remaining room is used up.

Common phrases

  • die Tasche füllen

    fill the bag

  • das Regal füllen

    fill the shelf

Similar words

auffüllen: Replacing what has been used until a container is full again.
einfüllen: Pouring liquid or powder through an opening into a container.
befüllen: Putting something into a container until it is filled.

Definition in German

ein Gefäß oder einen Raum mit etwas (z. B. Flüssigkeit, Stoff) so voll machen, dass keine Lücke mehr bleibt

Word origin

The verb füllen is an inherited Germanic formation related to German voll and English full, with its earlier form recorded as Middle High German vüllen.

Usage tips

  • For completing a form or blanks, German normally uses ausfüllen rather than füllen alone.

Other meanings

  • packverb

Opposites

Related words

  • befüllenloadverb
  • die Befüllungfillingnoun
  • füllendfillingadjective

Word lists with this word