nachäffen

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German

Etymology

nach- +‎ äffen. Compare Dutch na-apen.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnaːχˌʔɛfn̩/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: nach‧äf‧fen

Verb

nachäffen (weak, third-person singular present äfft nach, past tense äffte nach, past participle nachgeäfft, auxiliary haben)

  1. to ape, to mimic
  2. (derogatory) to copycat, to imitate
    • 1827, Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder [Book of Songs]‎, Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe:
      Du Doppelgänger! du bleicher Geselle! / Was äffst du nach mein Liebesleid, / Das mich gequält auf dieser Stelle, / So manche Nacht, in alter Zeit?
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading