verb
to ring, to chime
B1
Klingeln: means 'to ring' or 'to chime' (e.g., Das Telefon klingelt). Regular weak verb with participle geklingelt and auxiliary haben. Non‑reflexive. Often used for bells, phones or doorbells (klingeln an der Tür). No irregular stem changes; conjugates regularly. Common in everyday speech.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Das Telefon klingelt.
The telephone is ringing.
Die Glocke klingelte laut.
The bell rang loudly.
Als es klingelte, öffnete der Besucher die Haustür, weil er ein Paket erwartete.
When it rang, the visitor opened the front door because he expected a package.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine a bell swinging and making a clear ringing sound
sounds like 'cling' + 'eln' — think of a small bell's 'cling' sound
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Typically intransitive: objects or clocks 'klingeln' (to make a ringing sound). For ringing a bell by pressing it, German uses 'klingeln' for the bell itself or 'die Klingel drücken' for pressing. | Intransitive verb; passive conjugations are not applicable.