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pfeifen. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
pfeifen, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
pfeifen in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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German
Etymology
From Middle High German pfīfen, from Old High German pfīfōn, from Proto-West Germanic *pīpōn (“to play a flute; to whistle”). Cognate with Hunsrik peife, Yiddish פֿײַפֿן (fayfn).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpfaɪ̯fən/, , (standard)
- IPA(key): /ˈfaɪ̯fən/ (most speakers in northern and central Germany)
Verb
pfeifen (class 1 strong, third-person singular present pfeift, past tense pfiff, past participle gepfiffen, auxiliary haben)
- (intransitive or transitive) to whistle (with one's mouth or a whistle)
- Synonym: (regional) flöten
- Hör auf zu pfeifen! ― Stop whistling!
- Er pfeift ein Liedchen. ― He's whistling a song.
1844, Heinrich Heine, “Tragödie III”, in Neue Gedichte:Auf ihrem Grab da steht eine Linde, / drin pfeifen die Vögel und Abendwinde, / und drunter sitzt, auf dem grünen Platz, / der Müllersknecht mit seinem Schatz.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- (intransitive or transitive, sports) to act as referee
- Synonym: (regional) flöten
- Der Schiedsrichter pfeift sehr gut. ― The referee is doing a great job.
- Wer pfeift das Spiel? ― Who's refereeing the game?
- (colloquial, transitive with auf) to be uninterested (in something or someone); to ignore; not to give a damn
- Synonym: (Switzerland) foutieren
- Darauf pfeif ich! ― I don't care one bit about that!
Conjugation
Conjugation of
pfeifen (class 1
strong, auxiliary
haben)
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.
Composed forms of
pfeifen (class 1
strong, auxiliary
haben)
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “pfeifen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “pfeifen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “pfeifen” in Duden online
- “pfeifen” in OpenThesaurus.de