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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to swim" in German?
schwimmen
In German, "to swim" is schwimmen.
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Pronunciation
SHVIM-en. The 'schw' is like 'shw', and the vowel is short.
Grammar notes
Strong verb, past tense schwamm, past participle geschwommen. Uses sein when describing going somewhere, haben when describing the activity.
Example sentence
Der Junge schwimmt im See.
The boy swims in the lake.
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How to remember schwimmen
The 'schw' sound in German mimics the splashing sound of water. Picture someone diving into a pool.
Related words
- clear up aufräumen
- get up aufstehen
- make machen
- return zurückstellen
- sleep schlafen
- smell riechen
- switch off ausschalten
- wait warten
- wake up aufwachen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about schwimmen
How do you say "to swim" in German?
In German, "to swim" is schwimmen. It is a noun.
How is schwimmen written in German?
schwimmen is written using the standard German script.
How is schwimmen used in a sentence?
Use schwimmen as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Der Junge schwimmt im See. (The boy swims in the lake.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"To swim" in other languages
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