German Conversation · Level 87
59 words
German word
runterwerfen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʁʊntɐˌvɛɐ̯fən/
Meaning
- verbthrow down
Example
Er wirft den Ball runter.
He throws the ball down.
More examples
Er wirft die Flasche runter.
He throws the bottle down.
Core concept
A person gives an object a brief downward thrust so that it leaves a higher position and falls below.
Common phrases
die Flasche runterwerfen
throw the bottle down
von der Mauer runterwerfen
throw ___ down from the wall
Similar words
werfen: Sending an object away with strong force from the hand or arm.
herunterwerfen: Throwing an object from a higher position down to a lower one.
fallen lassen: Releasing an object and allowing it to drop on its own.
runterschmeißen: Hurling an object downward carelessly, possibly damaging it on impact.
Definition in German
Trennbares Verb; etwas von einer erhöhten Position mit kurzer, kräftiger Bewegung nach unten werfen.
Word origin
The verb is formed from runter, the colloquial form of herunter, and the inherited Germanic verb werfen, 'to throw'.
Usage tips
- Its perfect participle is 'runtergeworfen', as in 'Er hat den Ball runtergeworfen', with ge inserted after the separable prefix.