Home › German › Glossary › smile
German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "smile" in German?
lächeln
In German, "smile" is lächeln.
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free German learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Pronounced 'LEKH-eln', stress on the first syllable, with 'ch' as a soft khh sound.
Grammar notes
lächeln is a verb (infinitive form). Use it after modal verbs, or conjugate it to match the subject.
Example sentence
Sie lächelte die Gäste warm an.
She smiled warmly at the guests.
Test your German knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember lächeln
Lächeln is related to lachen, to laugh, but softer — think of a smile as a quiet, gentle version of a laugh.
Related words
- run laufen
- walk gehen
- jump springen
- climb klettern
- crawl kriechen
- swim schwimmen
- fall fallen
- eat essen
- chew kauen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about lächeln
How do you say "smile" in German?
In German, "smile" is lächeln. It is a verb.
How is lächeln used in a sentence?
Use lächeln as you would use the equivalent verb in English. For example: Sie lächelte die Gäste warm an. (She smiled warmly at the guests.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
You can play free German minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the German glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Smile" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the German language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town