klopfen

German

Etymology

From Middle High German klopfen, from Old High German clophōn, probably onomatopoeic. Cognate with Dutch kloppen. See also the informal doublet kloppen (“to thump, beat, fight”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklɔpfən/, [ˈklɔpfn̩], [ˈklɔpɸn̩]

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

1. to knock, to rap (strike rather gently with something hard)
2. (of the heart) to throb; to beat quickly or audibly

Derived terms

• abklopfen
• anklopfen
• ausklopfen
• Herzklopfen
• Klopfer
• Klopfgeräusch
• Klopfzeichen

Related terms

• kloppen

Further reading

• “klopfen” in Duden online