German · Everyday Verbs
"to laugh" in German: lachen
lachen
To laugh in German is lachen. Say Ich lache laut or Warum lachst du?. Smiling alone is lächeln, a different verb.
Joke night
Wir haben den ganzen Abend gelacht.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce lachen
Say it
LAKH-en
/ˈlaxn̩/
LAKH-en. Soft ach-sound kh; soft -en.
"to laugh" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| lachen | to laugh Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich lache / du lachst | I laugh / you laugh Present. | Present. |
| laut lachen | to laugh out loud Volume. | Volume. |
| gelacht | laughed Past participle. | Past participle. |
How to use lachen in real life
- 1Joke night
Wir haben den ganzen Abend gelacht.
We laughed the whole evening.
Gelacht clearly marks the verb.
- 2Movie
Sie lacht bei jeder Szene.
She laughs at every scene.
Lacht present.
- 3Friendly tease
Lachst du über meinen Hut?
Are you laughing about my hat?
Lachst.
Mistakes English speakers make with lachen
Incorrect: Ich lächele laut (for laughing).
Correct: Ich lache laut.
Lächeln is to smile; laughing is lachen.
Incorrect: Das Lachen war stark (as the only verb use).
Correct: Wir haben stark gelacht.
Prefer a clear verb form like gelacht or lacht for the headword.
Good to know
Germans say darüber kann ich lachen for taking a joke well. Lächeln is the polite smile in photos. Loud public lachen is fine among friends; in quiet trains people keep it softer.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Watching a comedy clip
ChatPal
Warum lachst du schon wieder?
Why are you laughing again?
You
Weil der Hund so komisch läuft — ich lache.
Because the dog walks so funny — I'm laughing.
ChatPal
Okay, jetzt lache ich auch.
Okay, now I'm laughing too.
You
Gut. Zusammen gelacht ist besser.
Good. Laughing together is better.
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 laugh" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to laugh" in German
How do you conjugate lachen?
Ich lache, du lachst, er/sie lacht, wir lachen…
Is lächeln the same?
No — lächeln means to smile.
We laughed?
Wir haben gelacht.
Laugh out loud?
Laut lachen.
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
