nachahmen
[ˈnaːxˌʔaːmən]
To say mimic in German, meaning to imitate, use nachahmen. When the imitation is meant to mock someone, nachäffen is used. If unsure, use nachahmen.
Meaning: to imitate, especially in order to ridicule (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| nachahmen | [ˈnaːxˌʔaːmən] (narrow) |
| nachäffen | /ˈnaːχˌʔɛfn̩/ |
A person who imitates others is a Nachahmer.
What does it mean word for word?
nachahmen starts with the prefix nach, meaning after.
Which one should you use?
nachahmen is neutral, used for a child copying a parent or a parrot copying a sound. nachäffen is derogatory and means to ape someone in order to ridicule them.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both verbs are separable, so in a main clause nach moves to the end of the sentence. With zu the infinitive becomes nachzuahmen.
Did you know?
- The neutral verb nachahmen has a surprising connection to ancient water buckets. It stems from a word for 'to gauge' or 'measure', which itself traces back to the Latin word for a 'firebucket' or 'pail'.
- The verb nachäffen literally means to 'after-ape', using the German word for monkey Affe to describe the act of mocking someone.
- While nachahmen is neutral, using nachäffen in a professional or formal setting can be seen as a sharp personal insult rather than a simple observation.
Examples in context
- Papageien können menschliche Stimmen nachahmen.A parrot can mimic a person's voice.nachahmen here describes parrots copying human voices, a neutral kind of mimicry.Tatoeba #10148000 by Yorwba, translation #65170 by Dejo
- Er versuchte immer, das Verhalten seines großen Bruders nachzuahmen.He always tried to mimic his big brother's behavior.nachzuahmen shows the separable verb with zu placed between nach and the rest.
- Der Schauspieler konnte die Stimme des Präsidenten perfekt imitieren.The actor was able to mimic the president's voice perfectly.
- Du machst es wirklich gut, wie du den Akzent nachahmst!You're really good at mimicking the accent!
- Er kann seinen Lehrer großartig parodieren und alle zum Lachen bringen.He can mimic his teacher brilliantly and make everyone laugh.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are talking about a person who behaves immaturely.
- JulianWarum nachahmen die Kinder ständig meinen Akzent?Why are the children constantly mimicking my accent?
- SarahSie wollen dich bestimmt nur ärgern, Julian.They probably just want to tease you, Julian.
- JulianDas ist wirklich sehr nervig.That is really very annoying.
- SarahIgnoriere sie einfach, dann hören sie bald auf.Just ignore them, then they will stop soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mimic” translations and entries nachahmen, nachäffen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nachahmen, nachäffen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
