singen 30秒了解
- Singen is the German verb for 'to sing', a strong verb with the forms singen, sang, gesungen.
- It is used for humans, birds, and sometimes metaphorically for sounds in nature.
- Grammatically, it usually takes the Accusative for the song and Dative for the listener.
- Culturally, it is central to German social life, from choirs to football stadiums.
The German verb singen is a foundational pillar of the language, representing the act of producing musical sounds with the voice. At its core, it is a strong (irregular) verb that captures everything from a child's nursery rhyme to the complex arias of the Berlin State Opera. In German culture, singing is deeply intertwined with social cohesion, historical folk traditions, and religious expression. To understand singen is to understand a primary mode of human communication that transcends mere speech.
- Physical Action
- The physiological process of using the vocal cords, breath control, and resonance chambers to create melody and rhythm.
- Social Context
- Often implies a communal activity, such as in a 'Chor' (choir) or during 'Gemeindegesang' (congregational singing).
- Metaphorical Usage
- Can refer to the sound of birds (Vogelgezwitscher) or, more poetically, the 'singing' of the wind or a kettle.
"Wo man singt, da lass dich ruhig nieder, böse Menschen haben keine Lieder."
In the German linguistic landscape, singen is categorized as a Class 3 strong verb (i-a-u gradation). This means its forms change significantly: singen (present), sang (past), gesungen (perfect). This phonetic shift is a hallmark of Germanic philology and is shared with the English 'sing, sang, sung'.
"Ich singe unter der Dusche, weil ich mich dort wie ein Star fühle."
- Grammatical Valence
- Usually takes an accusative object (e.g., ein Lied singen) but can also be intransitive (e.g., Sie singt schön).
"Die Vögel singen am frühen Morgen im Garten."
"Wir sangen gemeinsam am Lagerfeuer alte Volkslieder."
Ultimately, singen is more than a verb; it is an expression of joy, sorrow, and community. Whether you are 'trällern' (warbling) or 'schmettern' (belting out), you are participating in a linguistic tradition that dates back to the earliest Germanic tribes. Its simplicity at the A1 level belies the deep emotional and technical layers it acquires as one progresses to C2 mastery.
Using singen correctly requires attention to its irregular conjugation and its various prepositional connections. As a strong verb, it follows the pattern i - a - u. This is a critical pattern to memorize early on, as it applies to several other common verbs like trinken (trank, getrunken) and springen (sprang, gesprungen).
Conjugation Breakdown
- Präsens: ich singe, du singst, er/sie/es singt, wir singen, ihr singt, sie singen.
- Präteritum: ich sang, du sangst, er sang, wir sangen, ihr sangt, sie sangen.
- Perfekt: ich habe gesungen. (Note the use of haben as the auxiliary verb).
When describing *what* someone is singing, we use the Accusative case. For example: "Sie singt ein schönes Lied" (She sings a beautiful song). Here, 'ein schönes Lied' is the direct object. If you want to specify the recipient of the song, use the Dative case: "Ich singe dir ein Schlaflied" (I sing a lullaby to you).
"Kannst du mir bitte dieses Lied vorsingen?"
Common Prepositions
- von + Dativ
- To sing about something (e.g., von der Liebe singen).
- in + Dativ
- To sing in a specific place or group (e.g., im Chor singen).
- mit + Dativ
- To sing with someone or something (e.g., mit Begleitung singen).
Advanced learners should note the difference between singen and its prefixed variants. Mitsingen means to sing along, Einsingen means to warm up the voice, and Besingen means to praise or describe something in song (often used in literature).
The verb singen echoes through various layers of German society. From the domestic sphere to the grandest stages, you will encounter this word in diverse contexts. Understanding these contexts helps in grasping the cultural weight of the term.
1. The Musical Heartland
Germany is often called the 'Land der Musik'. You will hear singen in the context of the legendary Berliner Philharmoniker, the Thomanerchor in Leipzig, or during the Bayreuther Festspiele. In these high-culture settings, the word is used with reverence for technical skill.
2. Everyday Life and Education
In 'Kindergärten' and schools, singing is a daily ritual. Teachers will say: "Kinder, lasst uns ein Lied singen!". You'll also hear it in 'Musikschulen' where students take 'Gesangsunterricht' (singing lessons).
"In der Grundschule haben wir jeden Morgen ein Begrüßungslied gesungen."
3. Religious and Festive Traditions
Churches are major hubs for singing. Whether it's 'Kirchenlieder' (hymns) or 'Gospelchöre', the act of singing is central to worship. During Christmas, 'Sternsinger' (star singers) go from house to house singing carols to raise money for charity.
4. Sports and Subcultures
In football stadiums, fans 'singen' (or often 'grölen' - belt out/bawl) anthems to support their teams. At the Oktoberfest, 'Schlager' music prompts thousands to 'mitsingen' (sing along) while standing on benches.
Even though singen seems straightforward, learners often stumble over its conjugation, pronunciation, and specific nuances. Avoiding these common pitfalls will make your German sound much more natural.
1. The 'Sinken' vs. 'Singen' Confusion
The most frequent error for English speakers is the pronunciation of the 'ng'. In German, 'ng' is a single nasal sound /ŋ/, like in the English word 'sing'. However, learners often accidentally pronounce it like 'sinken' (to sink) with a hard 'k' sound. Remember: singen (to sing) has a soft, nasal ending; sinken (to sink) has a sharp 'k'.
Falsch: Das Schiff singt. (The ship is singing.)
Richtig: Das Schiff sinkt. (The ship is sinking.)
2. Conjugation Errors in the Past Tense
Because singen is a strong verb, many learners try to apply weak verb rules. They might say "ich singte" instead of the correct ich sang. Similarly, the past participle is gesungen, not "gesingt".
3. Confusing 'Singen' with 'Klingen'
Singen is the action performed by a person or bird. Klingen means 'to sound'. You cannot say "Die Musik singt gut" (The music sings well); you must say "Die Musik klingt gut".
German is a language of precision. While singen is the general term, there are many specific verbs that describe *how* someone is singing or the quality of the sound.
- Summen
- To hum. Used when you sing with closed lips or just a low vibration.
- Trällern
- To warble or sing lightheartedly. Often used for someone singing happily to themselves while doing chores.
- Schmettern
- To belt out. Used for singing very loudly and powerfully, like an opera singer or a brass band.
- Grölen
- To bawl or shout-sing. Usually has a negative connotation, like drunken fans at a stadium.
- Jodeln
- To yodel. A specific style of singing with rapid changes in pitch, traditional in the Alpine regions.
"Sie summte leise eine Melodie vor sich hin."
There are also nouns related to singen that you should know: der Gesang (the singing/vocal performance), das Lied (the song), and die Stimme (the voice).
How Formal Is It?
发音指南
难度评级
需要掌握的语法
Strong verb conjugation patterns (i-a-u)
Separable verbs (mit-singen, vor-singen)
Accusative objects
Dative of interest (jemandem etwas singen)
Word order in subordinate clauses
按水平分级的例句
Ich singe gern unter der Dusche.
I like to sing in the shower.
Present tense, 1st person singular.
Singst du ein Lied für mich?
Are you singing a song for me?
Question form, 2nd person singular.
Wir singen heute im Musikunterricht.
We are singing in music class today.
Present tense, 1st person plural.
Sie singt sehr schön.
She sings very beautifully.
Adverb 'schön' modifies the verb.
Er singt nicht gern.
He doesn't like to sing.
Negation with 'nicht gern'.
Die Kinder singen ein Geburtstagslied.
The children are singing a birthday song.
Plural subject with 'singen'.
Was singst du?
What are you singing?
Interrogative pronoun 'Was'.
Ich kann nicht gut singen.
I cannot sing well.
Modal verb 'können' + infinitive.
Hast du gestern im Chor gesungen?
Did you sing in the choir yesterday?
Perfekt tense with 'haben'.
Wir haben das ganze Wochenende gesungen.
We sang the whole weekend.
Perfekt tense, plural.
Sie hat ein Solo gesungen.
She sang a solo.
Perfekt tense, 3rd person singular.
Möchtest du mitsingen?
Would you like to sing along?
Separable verb 'mitsingen'.
Ich habe früher viel gesungen.
I used to sing a lot.
Adverb 'früher' indicating past habit.
Warum singst du so leise?
Why are you singing so quietly?
Adverb 'leise' (quietly).
Können wir dieses Lied zusammen singen?
Can we sing this song together?
Modal verb 'können' + infinitive.
Er hat mir ein Schlaflied gesungen.
He sang a lullaby to me.
Dative object 'mir' (to me).
Während sie kochte, sang sie ihre Lieblingslieder.
While she was cooking, she sang her favorite songs.
Präteritum (Simple Past) in a subordinate clause.
Es ist wichtig, dass wir die Nationalhymne mitsingen.
It is important that we sing along to the national anthem.
Dass-clause with verb at the end.
Der Vogel sang den ganzen Morgen auf dem Dach.
The bird sang all morning on the roof.
Präteritum, 3rd person singular.
Bevor der Auftritt begann, mussten wir uns einsingen.
Before the performance began, we had to warm up our voices.
Reflexive separable verb 'sich einsingen'.
Er sang so laut, dass die Nachbarn sich beschwerten.
He sang so loudly that the neighbors complained.
Consecutive clause with 'so... dass'.
Ich erinnere mich daran, wie wir am Lagerfeuer sangen.
I remember how we sang by the campfire.
Indirect question with 'wie'.
Sie hat die Arie fehlerfrei gesungen.
She sang the aria flawlessly.
Adverb 'fehlerfrei' (flawlessly).
Man sollte jeden Tag ein bisschen singen.
One should sing a little bit every day.
Impersonal 'man' + modal verb 'sollte'.
Die Fans sangen ununterbrochen, um ihre Mannschaft anzufeuern.
The fans sang continuously to cheer on their team.
Präteritum + infinitive construction with 'um... zu'.
In der Oper wurde gestern Abend hervorragend gesungen.
There was excellent singing at the opera last night.
Impersonal passive voice.
Er sang ein Loblied auf seinen Mentor.
He sang a song of praise for his mentor.
Idiomatic expression 'ein Loblied singen'.
Obwohl sie heiser war, sang sie das Konzert zu Ende.
Although she was hoarse, she sang the concert to the end.
Concessive clause with 'obwohl'.
Das Kind sang sich in den Schlaf.
The child sang itself to sleep.
Reflexive usage 'sich in den Schlaf singen'.
Die Dichter besingen oft die Schönheit der Natur.
Poets often celebrate the beauty of nature in song/verse.
Transitive verb 'besingen'.
Sie sangen im Kanon, was sehr beeindruckend klang.
They sang in a round, which sounded very impressive.
Relative clause with 'was'.
Nachdem sie jahrelang geübt hatte, sang sie endlich an der Met.
After practicing for years, she finally sang at the Met.
Temporal clause with 'nachdem' (Plusquamperfekt).
Die Primadonna sang die Partie mit einer beispiellosen Leichtigkeit.
The prima donna sang the part with unprecedented ease.
Noun 'Leichtigkeit' with prepositional phrase.
Es wurde viel darüber diskutiert, wie authentisch er den Blues sang.
There was much discussion about how authentically he sang the blues.
Passive voice + indirect question.
Die Sirenen sangen so betörend, dass kein Seemann ihnen widerstehen konnte.
The sirens sang so beguilingly that no sailor could resist them.
Adjective 'betörend' (beguiling).
In seinem neuen Roman besingt der Autor den Untergang einer Epoche.
In his new novel, the author laments/celebrates the end of an era.
Metaphorical use of 'besingen'.
Sie sangen aus voller Kehle, ungeachtet der späten Stunde.
They sang at the top of their lungs, regardless of the late hour.
Idiom 'aus voller Kehle' + preposition 'ungeachtet'.
Hätte er schöner gesungen, hätte er den Wettbewerb gewonnen.
If he had sung more beautifully, he would have won the competition.
Konjunktiv II (Irrealis).
Das Ensemble sang a cappella, was höchste Präzision erforderte.
The ensemble sang a cappella, which required the highest precision.
Technical musical term 'a cappella'.
Die Vögel singen den Frühling herbei.
The birds are singing to bring forth the spring.
Separable verb 'herbeisingen' (poetic).
Die Mezzosopranistin sang die hochkomplexe Partitur mit einer technischen Brillanz, die ihresgleichen sucht.
The mezzo-soprano sang the highly complex score with a technical brilliance that is second to none.
Relative clause with 'ihresgleichen sucht'.
In der Mystik wird oft davon berichtet, wie die Engel das Lob Gottes singen.
In mysticism, it is often reported how the angels sing the praises of God.
Prepositional object 'davon'.
Das Werk besingt in elegischen Tönen den Verlust der Heimat.
The work celebrates/laments the loss of home in elegiac tones.
Adjective 'elegisch'.
Man sagt, dass Schwäne vor ihrem Tod ein letztes, wunderschönes Lied singen.
It is said that swans sing one last, beautiful song before their death.
Mythological reference (Schwanengesang).
Die Oden des Horaz wurden ursprünglich wohl gesungen, nicht nur rezitiert.
The odes of Horace were probably originally sung, not just recited.
Historical/Academic context.
Er sang sich förmlich die Seele aus dem Leib.
He literally sang his soul out.
Idiom 'sich die Seele aus dem Leib singen'.
Die Polyphonie der Stimmen, die gegeneinander sangen, erzeugte eine ungeheure Spannung.
The polyphony of the voices singing against each other created immense tension.
Participle construction used as an adjective.
Obgleich die Akustik der Halle zu wünschen übrig ließ, sangen sie bravourös.
Although the hall's acoustics left much to be desired, they sang brilliantly.
Conjunction 'obgleich' + idiom 'zu wünschen übrig lassen'.
常见搭配
常用短语
容易混淆的词
习语与表达
容易混淆
句型
如何使用
Birds 'singen' or 'zwitschern'.
A kettle can 'singen' when the water boils.
Instruments do NOT 'singen' (they 'spielen' or 'klingen'), unless it's very poetic.
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Singen is a strong verb, not a weak one.
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Confusion between 'singen' (sing) and 'sinken' (sink).
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In German, we use the dative case for the recipient, not 'zu'.
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Music 'sounds' (klingt), it doesn't 'sing'.
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Singen takes 'haben' as an auxiliary verb.
小贴士
Master the i-a-u
Memorize singen-sang-gesungen as a melody itself. This pattern repeats in many German verbs.
The Voiced S
The 's' at the start is voiced, like a 'z'. Practice saying 'zzz-ingen'.
Prefixes Matter
Learn 'mitsingen' and 'einsingen' early; they are very common in musical contexts.
Join a Choir
Germany has a huge choir culture. It's a great way to meet people and practice.
Radio Practice
Listen to German 'Schlager'—the lyrics are often simple and easy to sing along to.
Adverb Choice
Use adverbs like 'falsch' (wrong/off-key) or 'begeistert' (enthusiastically) to add detail.
Karaoke
Don't be afraid to sing in German! It helps with rhythm and vowel pronunciation.
Dative Object
Remember: 'Ich singe DIR ein Lied'—the person listening is in the dative case.
Noun Forms
Learn 'der Sänger' and 'das Lied' alongside the verb to build a word family.
Rhyme Time
Rhyme 'singen' with 'bringen' and 'springen' to remember the conjugation class.
记住它
词源
From Middle High German 'singen', Old High German 'singan'.
文化背景
A popular genre of catchy music often sung along to at parties.
The organized choir system, which is UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
Traditional folk songs that every German child knows.
在生活中练习
真实语境
对话开场白
"Singst du gern?"
"Was ist dein Lieblingslied zum Mitsingen?"
"Warst du schon mal in einem Chor?"
"Kannst du gut singen?"
"Welches Lied hast du als Kind oft gesungen?"
日记主题
Schreibe über ein Lied, das du gerne singst.
Hast du schon einmal vor anderen Menschen gesungen? Wie war das?
Warum ist Singen wichtig für die Menschen?
Beschreibe die Atmosphäre in einem Konzert.
Welche Rolle spielt Musik in deinem Leben?
常见问题
10 个问题No, it is a strong (irregular) verb. Its forms are singen, sang, gesungen.
The past participle is 'gesungen'.
Yes, it is very common to say 'Die Vögel singen'.
Singen is the general act, while mitsingen specifically means to sing along with others or music.
It always takes 'haben' in the perfect tense: 'Ich habe gesungen'.
You say 'ein Solo singen'.
'Gesang' is the noun form, meaning 'singing' or 'vocal music'.
Yes, for example 'ein Loblied singen' means to praise someone highly.
It is a nasal sound like in the English word 'ring'. Do not pronounce the 'g' separately.
It means to sing for someone, often as an audition or to teach a melody.
自我测试 180 个问题
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Singen is a versatile strong verb (i-a-u) essential for describing hobbies, arts, and social gatherings. Mastery involves learning its irregular past forms and distinguishing it from 'sinken' (to sink).
- Singen is the German verb for 'to sing', a strong verb with the forms singen, sang, gesungen.
- It is used for humans, birds, and sometimes metaphorically for sounds in nature.
- Grammatically, it usually takes the Accusative for the song and Dative for the listener.
- Culturally, it is central to German social life, from choirs to football stadiums.
Master the i-a-u
Memorize singen-sang-gesungen as a melody itself. This pattern repeats in many German verbs.
The Voiced S
The 's' at the start is voiced, like a 'z'. Practice saying 'zzz-ingen'.
Prefixes Matter
Learn 'mitsingen' and 'einsingen' early; they are very common in musical contexts.
Join a Choir
Germany has a huge choir culture. It's a great way to meet people and practice.
