German · Everyday Verbs
"to cry" in German: weinen
weinen
To cry in German is weinen. Say Ich weine or Warum weinst du?. Der Wein means wine and does not count.
Sad film
Am Ende habe ich geweint.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce weinen
Say it
VY-nen
/ˈvaɪnən/
VY-nen. Soft v like English v; soft -nen.
"to cry" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| weinen | to cry Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich weine / du weinst | I cry / you cry Present. | Present. |
| vor Freude weinen | to cry with joy Happy tears. | Happy tears. |
| geweint | cried Past participle. | Past participle. |
How to use weinen in real life
- 1Sad film
Am Ende habe ich geweint.
At the end I cried.
Geweint clearly marks the verb.
- 2Comforting
Weinst du wegen des Abschieds?
Are you crying because of the goodbye?
Weinst.
- 3Happy news
Sie weint vor Freude.
She is crying with joy.
Weint.
Mistakes English speakers make with weinen
Incorrect: Ich trinke Wein (as crying).
Correct: Ich weine.
Der Wein is wine; crying is weinen.
Incorrect: Ich crye.
Correct: Ich weine.
Use a German conjugation of weinen.
Good to know
Weinen is open and normal for films and farewells. Friends say Du darfst weinen without shame. Wine is der Wein — easy false friend for beginners.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a moving goodbye at the station
ChatPal
Weinst du noch ein bisschen?
Are you still crying a bit?
You
Ja. Ich weine, aber es geht schon.
Yes. I'm crying, but I'm okay.
ChatPal
Ich habe auch geweint, ehrlich.
I cried too, honestly.
You
Gut. Zusammen geweint fühlt sich leichter an.
Good. Having cried together feels lighter.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to cry" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to cry" in German
How do you conjugate weinen?
Ich weine, du weinst, er/sie weint, wir weinen…
I cried?
Ich habe geweint.
Does Wein count?
No — that means wine.
Cry with joy?
Vor Freude weinen.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
