German verbs — S

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z

säen to sow
saften to make juice
sagen to say
sägen to saw
salbadern to prattle sanctimoniously, to blather (dated)
sammeln to gather
sanktionieren to give official approval to
sättigen to satisfy, to gorge, to satiate
saturieren to saturate; to satiate (formal)
sauber machen to clean
säubern to clean, purge
saufen to drink
saugen to suck; to vacuum
säumen to hem (put a hem on an article of clothing)
sausen to rush
scannen to scan
schaden to hurt, to be harmful
schaffen to get done
schäkern to banter, to dally, to jest
schälen to peel; to pare; to husk; to skin
schallen to resound, peal
schalten to switch
schämen (sich) to be ashamed
schanghaien to shanghai (someone)
schärfen to sharpen
schattieren to shade (drawing)
schätzen to estimate
schauen to look
schaufeln to shovel
schaukeln to swing
schäumen to froth, to foam
scheiden to separate
scheinen to shine; to gleam
scheißen shit
scheitern to fail, to conclude unsuccessfully
schelten to scold
schenken to give as a present
scheren to cut
scherzen to joke
schichten to layer
schicken to send
schieben to push
schiefliegen to be wrong, to be mistaken (colloquial)
schielen to squint
schießen to shoot
schiften to gybe (nautical); to fit skew rafters (carpentry)
schildern to depict (with words), to narrate, tell vividly
schimmern to glitter, gleam
schimpfen to tell off
schinden to mistreat
schlachten to slaughter
schlafen to sleep
schlagen to hit
schlängeln to move in a snakelike manner
schleichen to move in a quiet and inconspicuous manner
schleifen to drag
schlendern to saunter
schleppen to tow; to haul; to drag
schlichten to settle
schlickern to curdle (Northern German)
schließen to shut
schlingen to wind
schlitzen to slit, slash
schlucken to swallow
schlüpfen to slip (move quickly)
schlurfen to drag one’s feet
schlürfen to sip, lap
schmachten to suffer hardship
schmähen to revile; mock; verbally abuse
schmecken to taste
schmeicheln to flatter
schmeißen to throw
schmelzen to melt
schmerzen to pain, hurt
schmieren to smear
schminken to put on's face
schmirgeln to emery, to sand
schmöken to smoke (Northern German)
schmollen to sulk, to pout
schmuggeln to smuggle
schmulen to peek, to crib (regional school slang)
schmunzeln to smile to oneself
schmusen to cuddle
schnabulieren to nibble with relish, to feast on (humorous)
schnackseln to shag (Bavarian, Austrian; vulgar)
schnallen to fasten with a clasp
schnarchen to snore
schneiden to cut
schneien to snow
schnökern to nibble sweets; to browse (Northern German)
schnüffeln to sniff
schnüren to tie up with string
schocken to shock
schockieren to shock
schonen to spare
schöpfen to scoop up
schrauben to screw
schrecken to frighten
schreiben to write
schreien to shout
schreiten to step, proceed
schulden to owe
schummeln to cheat (in games)
schunkeln to rock, sway
schütteln to shake
schützen to defend
schwächen to weaken
schwadronieren to hold forth, to bluster
schwängern to impregnate
schwanken to fluctuate
schwänzen to play hooky
schwärzen to blacken; to redact (a document)
schwarzfahren to use transportation without a valid fare
schwarzsehen to be pessimistic
schwatzen to chatter, chat
schwätzen to chat, talk
schweben to hover, soar
schweigen to be silent
schweißen to sweat
schwellen to swell, rise
schwenken to wave
schwerfallen to be difficult or burdensome
schwimmen to swim
schwindeln to be dizzy
schwinden to become less, shrink, fade
schwingen to swing
schwitzen to sweat
screenen to screen (candidates, patients)
segeln to sail
segnen to bless
sehen to see
sehnen to long, yearn
sein to be
sekkieren to pester, to tease (Austrian)
sekundieren to second, to back up
senden to broadcast; to transmit
sengen to singe, to scorch
servieren to serve
setzen to set, put
seufzen to sigh
shoppen to shop, to go shopping
sich abkühlen to cool down
sich auf einstellen to adapt (oneself) to
sich aufpassen to pay attention
sich befassen to deal with, to concern oneself with
sich bessern to improve (oneself)
sich gruseln to shudder (with fear), to be scared
sich hinsetzen to sit down
sich langweilen to be bored
sich leidtun to feel sorry (for), to feel pity
sich nach sehnen to long for
sich niederlassen to settle (down)
sich orientieren to orient oneself
sich schmücken to adorn oneself
sich sicher sein to be sure (of oneself)
sich sichern to secure oneself
sich spezialisieren to specialize
sich stylen to style oneself
sich unterwerfen to submit (oneself), to subject oneself
sich verirren to get lost
sich verkriechen to crawl away, to hide oneself
sich verschlucken to choke (on something)
sich verstecken to hide (oneself)
sich verwählen to dial the wrong number
sich verwöhnen to pamper oneself
sich vorsehen to beware
sich widersetzen to oppose, to resist
sich zusammenreißen to pull oneself together
sicherstellen to seize
sichten to sift, sort
sieben to sieve, to sift; to weed out
siedeln to settle
siegen to win, to be victorious
siezen to address someone with sie
simsen to text, to send a text message (colloquial)
singen to sing
sinken to sink; to submerge; to set; to fall from the sky
sistieren to suspend, to stay (law); to take into custody
sitzen to sit
sitzen bleiben to remain sitting
sollen should
sondern to separate
sonnen (sich) to sun, bask in the sun
sorgen (sich) to be worried
sortieren to sort, sort out
spalten to split (something); to cleave; to chop
sparen to save up
spawnen to spawn (gaming)
spazieren to stroll
spazieren gehen to go strolling
spazierenfahren to go for a drive
spazierengehen to go for a walk
speiben to vomit (Bavarian, Austrian)
speichern to store
speisen to dine
spekulieren to speculate
spenden to donate
spendieren to treat, pay for
sperren to bar
spiegeln to sparkle, reflect
spielen to play
spinnen to spin
spionieren to spy
spleißen to split
spotten to mock
sprechen to speak
sprengen to blow up
sprießen to sprout, bud
springen to spring
spritzen squirt
sprühen to spray
spucken to spit
spülen to rinse
spüren to feel
sputen (sich sputen) to hurry up
staben to alliterate (poetry)
stammen to be descended, originate
starten to start something
stattfinden to take place
staub saugen to vacuum
staubsaugen to vacuum
stauen to stow
staunen to be astonished
stechen to stick
stecken to put, stick
stehen to stand
stehen bleiben to remain standing
stehen lassen to leave behind, in place
stehlen to steal
steigen to ascend
steigern to increase
stellen to place, put
stemmen to lift
stempeln to stamp
sterben to die
steuern to steer
stieren to stare (fixedly)
stierln to poke around, to rummage (Austrian)
stiften to found
stilisieren to stylize
stimmen to be right
stinken to stink
stippen to dip
stipulieren to stipulate
stocken to stop
stöhnen to moan, to groan
stolpern to stumble, to trip
stopfen to stuff, to plug
stoppen to stop
stören to disturb
stornieren to annul, cancel
stoßen to push
stottern to stutter
strafen to punish, fine
strahlen to shine
strecken to stretch
streicheln to stroke, caress
streichen to stroke
streifen to brush, to graze, to stroke
streiken to strike (to stop working in protest)
streiten to argue
streuen to strew, to scatter, to sprinkle
stricken to knit
striegeln to groom, to curry (a horse)
strömen to stream, flow
strotzen to be puffed up
studieren to study at university
stürmen to storm
stürzen to fall
stutzen to stop short, hesitate
stützen to support
sublimieren to sublimate
substantivieren to nominalize (grammar)
substituieren to substitute
subsumieren to subsume
subtrahieren to subtract
suchen to search, to look for
suckeln to suckle, to suck (colloquial, regional)
summen to hum
surfen to surf