German · Everyday Verbs
"to smile" in German: lächeln
lächeln
To smile in German is lächeln. Say Sie lächelt freundlich or Warum lächelst du?. Laughing out loud is lachen, a different verb.
Photo pose
Lächle bitte natürlich in die Kamera.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce lächeln
Say it
LEKH-eln
/ˈlɛçln̩/
LEKH-eln. Soft ach-sound; soft -eln.
"to smile" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| lächeln | to smile Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich lächle / du lächelst | I smile / you smile Present. | Present. |
| freundlich lächeln | to smile kindly Tone. | Tone. |
| gelächelt | smiled Past participle. | Past participle. |
How to use lächeln in real life
- 1Photo pose
Lächle bitte natürlich in die Kamera.
Please smile naturally into the camera.
Imperative lächle.
- 2Bus encounter
Der Fahrer lächelt kurz und nickt.
The driver smiles briefly and nods.
Lächelt present.
- 3After a joke
Ich habe nur höflich gelächelt.
I only smiled politely.
Gelächelt.
Mistakes English speakers make with lächeln
Incorrect: Ich lache (when you only mean a smile).
Correct: Ich lächle.
Lachen is to laugh; smiling is lächeln.
Incorrect: Das Lachen war freundlich (as the only form).
Correct: Sie hat freundlich gelächelt.
Prefer a verb form like gelächelt or lächelt for the headword.
Good to know
Service staff may lächeln briefly without small talk. In photos people say Lächle! or Cheese. A soft Lächeln can mean politeness rather than joy, so pair it with tone of voice.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Taking a quick selfie
ChatPal
Lächelst du schon?
Are you smiling already?
You
Ja — ich lächle, drück ab!
Yes — I'm smiling, shoot!
ChatPal
Noch einmal. Jetzt lächelt auch der Hund.
One more time. Now the dog is smiling too.
You
Perfekt. Wir haben beide gelächelt.
Perfect. We both smiled.
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 smile" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to smile" in German
How do you conjugate lächeln?
Ich lächle, du lächelst, er/sie lächelt…
Smile vs laugh?
Lächeln = smile; lachen = laugh.
We smiled?
Wir haben gelächelt.
Smile please?
Lächle bitte!
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
