German Word of the Day
laufen
LAU-fen • verb — 16th of Jun, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to run; to walk (depending on context); to operate/function (e.g., a machine or program)
Examples
- Ich laufe jeden Morgen im Park.
(I run every morning in the park.) - Der Hund läuft zur Tür.
(The dog runs to the door.) - Die Maschine läuft seit Stunden ohne Probleme.
(The machine has been running for hours without problems.)
Synonyms
Click a synonym to see how it compares to laufen.
Conjugation
| Person | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | laufe | lief |
| du | läufst | liefst |
| er/sie/es | läuft | lief |
| wir | laufen | liefen |
| ihr | lauft | lieft |
| sie/Sie | laufen | liefen |
Laufen is versatile: it commonly means 'to run' but can also mean 'to walk' in some contexts or dialects. It is used for people and animals, and figuratively for machines, programs, or events (e.g., 'Der Film läuft' = 'The movie is showing'). To emphasize fast running use 'rennen'; to emphasize normal walking use 'gehen'.
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