German word

gleiten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈglaɪ̯tn̩/

Meaning

  • verbslide

Example

Ich gleite leise über das Eis.

I am sliding quietly over the ice.

Illustration for gleiten (slide)

More examples

Der Ball gleitet am Tor vorbei.

The ball slides past the goal.

Core concept

Something keeps moving in a steady, effortless path instead of stopping suddenly, whether across ice or through the air.

Common phrases

  • aus der Hand gleiten

    slide out of one's hand

  • über den See gleiten

    slide across the lake

  • leise gleiten

    slide quietly

Similar words

rutschen: Move along the ground by slipping rather than walking.
schlittern: Slide unpredictably to the side after losing stability.

Definition in German

ohne plötzlichen Halt gleichmäßig über eine Oberfläche gleiten oder in der Luft schwerelos vorwärtskommen

Word origin

The verb comes from a Germanic root meaning to slide or glide and shares its history with English glide.

Usage tips

  • Its principal parts are gleiten, glitt, and ist geglitten, so the past tense is irregular rather than *gleitete.

Other meanings

  • glideverb

Opposites

Related words

  • das Gleitenslidingnoun
  • gleitendslidingadjective

Word lists with this word