German word

stopfen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃtɔpfən/

Meaning

  • verbstuff

Example

Ich stopfe das Kissen mit Federn.

I stuff the pillow with feathers.

Illustration for stopfen (stuff)

More examples

Sie stopft das Loch in der Socke.

She is patching the hole in the sock.

Core concept

Hands push a soft wad into a gap until the gap is packed or sealed, or work thread through worn fabric to close it.

Common phrases

  • jemandem den Mund stopfen

    silence someone

  • ein Loch stopfen

    plug a hole

  • etwas in die Tasche stopfen

    stuff something into a pocket

Similar words

füllen: Fill a container or space with a substance or liquid.
ausstopfen: Stuff a toy, pillow, or similar object with cotton, feathers, or other filling.

Definition in German

Etwas (oft weich) fest in eine Öffnung oder einen Hohlraum drücken, damit er gefüllt oder verschlossen wird; auch ein Loch in Kleidung mit Nadel und Faden schließen.

Word origin

The verb is recorded in Middle High German as stopfen and retained its concrete sense of filling or closing a space with material.

Usage tips

  • German usually uses füllen for ordinary filling; stopfen suggests tightly pushing material into a space and can sound rough with food.

Other meanings

  • plugverb
  • darnverb
  • cramverb

Opposites

  • entleerenemptyverb

Related words

  • Stopfungstuffingnoun
  • Stopferstuffernoun

Word lists with this word