German Conversation · Level 24
90 words
German word
werfen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈvɛɐ̯fn̩/
Meaning
- verbthrow
Example
Sie wirft den Stein ins Wasser.
She throws the stone into the water.
More examples
Er wirft dem Hund den Ball.
He throws the ball to the dog.
Core concept
A hand releases something so it travels through the air toward a place or person.
Common phrases
einen Stein werfen
throw a stone
Speer werfen
throw a spear
Similar words
zuwerfen: Throw an object to someone so it reaches them.
wegwerfen: Throw something away to get rid of it.
schmeißen: Fling or throw something forcefully in casual speech.
Definition in German
Etwas (oft mit dem Arm) so fortschleudern, dass es durch die Luft fliegt.
Word origin
The German verb developed through Old High German werfan and Middle High German werfen from the inherited Germanic verb *werpaną.
Usage tips
- Many prefixed forms are separable, so wegwerfen has weggeworfen and zuwerfen has zugeworfen in the perfect.