German Conversation · Level 4
88 words
German word
pumpen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈpʊmpn̩/
Meaning
- verbpump
Example
Ich pumpe das Wasser in den Tank.
I am pumping the water into the tank.
More examples
Die Pumpe pumpt Wasser aus dem Brunnen.
The pump pumps water out of the well.
Core concept
A pump drives material toward a destination with repeated strokes, whether the material is water entering a tank or blood filling a worked muscle.
Common phrases
pumpe Wasser
pump water
pumpe Wasser in den Tank
pump water into the tank
Similar words
aufpumpen: Inflate a tire, ball, or similar object with air.
abpumpen: Use a pump to drain liquid from a container or area.
trainieren: Train physically to increase strength or fitness.
Definition in German
Umgangssprachlich durch intensives Training einen starken Muskelpump erzeugen; technisch wiederholt Flüssigkeit oder Luft fördern.
Word origin
German pumpen is derived from Pumpe, the noun for a device that moves liquids or air, and later acquired the colloquial muscle-training sense.
Usage tips
- For literal pumping, pumpen can take a direct object and a destination, as in Wasser in den Tank pumpen, with in taking the accusative for movement.
Other meanings
- pump upverb
- work outverb
Opposites
- ablassendrainverb
Related words
- Wasserpumpewater pumpnoun
- Pumpwerkpumping stationnoun