German word

reden

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʁeːdn̩/

Meaning

  • verbtalk

Example

Wir reden morgen über das Projekt.

We're going to talk about the project tomorrow.

Illustration for reden (talk)

More examples

Ich rede gleich mit dem Lehrer.

I will talk to the teacher shortly.

Core concept

Voices move back and forth around a topic, or one speaker addresses a group.

Common phrases

  • reden mit jemandem

    talk to someone

  • reden über etwas

    talk about something

  • reden am Telefon

    talk on the phone

Similar words

sprechen: Communicate thoughts or information clearly through spoken words.
sich unterhalten: Carry on a relaxed conversation, taking turns while discussing a topic.
erzählen: Describe experiences or events in sequence to a listener.

Definition in German

reden — mit anderen mündlich über etwas sprechen oder über ein Thema diskutieren; der Vorgang des Sprechens steht im Mittelpunkt.

Word origin

Reden is an inherited Germanic verb, attested as Old High German redan or redin and continued through Middle High German reden.

Usage tips

  • Reden commonly takes mit plus dative for a conversation partner and ueber plus accusative for the topic.

Other meanings

  • discussverb
  • give a speechverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word