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sprechen
/ˈʃpʁɛçn̩/
What does "sprechen" mean in English?
to speakIch spreche Deutsch und Englisch.
I speak German and English.
How to use "sprechen" correctly: definitions and examples in English?
general
to speak; to talk; to converse
Er spricht sehr laut.
He speaks very loudly.
Wir sprechen über das Wetter.
We are talking about the weather.
Used for both languages and conversations. Often paired with 'mit' (with) or 'über' (about).
formal
to make a speech; to give a talk
Der Präsident spricht heute Abend.
The president is giving a speech tonight.
Common in political or academic contexts.
linguistic
to pronounce; to articulate
Kinder lernen, wie man das 'R' spricht.
Children learn how to pronounce the 'R'.
Used in language learning contexts.
Collocations
Deutsch sprechento speak Germanüber etwas sprechento talk about somethingmit jemandem sprechento talk to someone
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes
Avoid confusing 'sprechen' with 'reden' — while both mean 'to speak', 'reden' often implies a longer conversation or speech, whereas 'sprechen' is more general.
Gold Rule
Pronoun + sprechen
Always pair 'sprechen' with a direct object (language) or prepositions like 'mit' (with) or 'über' (about). Example: 'Ich spreche mit ihr.' (I talk to her.)
Word Origin
From Old High German 'sprechan', from Proto-Germanic '*sprekaną', related to English 'speak' and Dutch 'spreken'.
Usage Notes
The verb 'sprechen' is irregular in the present tense: ich spreche, du sprichst, er/sie/es spricht, wir sprechen, ihr sprecht, sie/Sie sprechen.
Word Breakdown
sprech-
root related to speech
root-en
infinitive verb ending
suffixDeutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch