lüften

See also: luften and Lüften

German

Etymology

From Middle High German lüften (to lift into the air), from Old High German luftēn, from Proto-Germanic *luftijaną. More at lift.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlʏftən/
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

lüften (weak, third-person singular present lüftet, past tense lüftete, past participle gelüftet, auxiliary haben)

  1. to air, ventilate
    Er hat das Zimmer gründlich gelüftet.
    He thoroughly ventilated the room.
  2. to lift, take off (a covering, such as a hat, veil, pot lid)
    • 1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, chapter 3, in Buddenbrooks [] [1], Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, part 8, page 442:
      Und Frau Permaneder trat auf den Zehenspitzen an das Bettchen, lüftete vorsichtig die Gardinen und lugte gebückt in das Gesicht ihres schlafenden Neffen.
      Frau Permaneder went on her tip-toes toward the little bed, cautiously raised the curtain, and bent to look down at her sleeping nephew's face.
  3. (figurative) to unveil, reveal (a secret)
    Ich kann es dir nicht sagen, sonst würde ich das Geheimnis lüften.
    I can't tell you or I'd reveal the secret.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Macedonian: луфтира (luftira), излуфтира (izluftira)
  • Serbo-Croatian: луфтирати / luftirati

Further reading

  • lüften” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • lüften” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • lüften” in Duden online
  • lüften” in OpenThesaurus.de