pfeifen

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See also: Pfeifen

German

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Etymology

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From Middle High German pfīfen, from Old High German pfīfōn, from Proto-West Germanic *pīpōn (to play a flute; to whistle). Cognate with Hunsrik peife, Yiddish פֿײַפֿן (fayfn).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈpfaɪ̯fən/, [ˈpfaɪ̯fən], [pfaɪ̯fɱ̩] (standard)
  • IPA(key): /ˈfaɪ̯fən/ (most speakers in northern and central Germany)
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

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pfeifen (class 1 strong, third-person singular present pfeift, past tense pfiff, past participle gepfiffen, auxiliary haben)

  1. (intransitive or transitive) to whistle (with one's mouth or a whistle)
    Synonym: (regional) flöten
    Hör auf zu pfeifen!Stop whistling!
    Er pfeift ein Liedchen.He's whistling a song.
    • 1844, Heinrich Heine, “Tragödie III”, in Neue Gedichte:
      Auf ihrem Grab da steht eine Linde, / drin pfeifen die Vögel und Abendwinde, / und drunter sitzt, auf dem grünen Platz, / der Müllersknecht mit seinem Schatz.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (intransitive or transitive, sports) to act as referee
    Synonym: (regional) flöten
    Der Schiedsrichter pfeift sehr gut.The referee is doing a great job.
    Wer pfeift das Spiel?Who's refereeing the game?
  3. (colloquial) to be uninterested in; to ignore; not to give a damn about [with auf (+ accusative) ‘someone/something’]
    Synonym: (Switzerland) foutieren
    Darauf pfeif ich!I don't care one bit about that!

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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