kein Bellen
/kaɪ̯n ˈbɛlən/word by word
The English phrase "no bark" is translated into German as kein Bellen.
kein Bellen refers to the absence of the sound a dog makes. While it describes the state of no barking, German speakers use different phrases to issue commands or requests regarding barking, such as Bitte nicht bellen (Please do not bark) or Hören Sie bitte auf zu bellen (Please stop barking) in formal settings or Hör auf zu bellen! (Stop barking!) and Sei ruhig! (Be quiet!) in informal settings.
What does it mean word for word?
kein means "no" or "none", and Bellen is the nominalized form of the verb bellen (to bark), meaning "barking".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the negative article kein with the nominalized verb Bellen (barking).
How do you pronounce it?
/kaɪ̯n ˈbɛlən/
Did you know?
- In German, the sound a dog makes is described as bellen, but the word is used as a metaphor for someone shouting or speaking in an aggressive and loud manner.
- While bellen refers to dogs in German, its cognate in Russian блеять (blejatʹ) refers to the sound a sheep makes, meaning 'baa' or 'bleat'.
- The word Bellen is an example of nominalization, where a verb becomes a noun simply by changing its capitalization to an uppercase letter.
Examples in context
- Bitte nicht bellen, wir haben Gäste.Please do not bark, we have guests.
- Hör auf zu bellen! Es gibt gleich Futter.Stop barking! There will be food soon.
- Hier gibt es kein Bellen.There is no barking here.
- Ich höre kein Bellen im Garten.I hear no barking in the garden.
- Trotz der Hunde war kein Bellen zu hören.Despite the dogs, no barking could be heard.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are walking through a quiet park.
- LukasEs ist heute so ruhig hier.It is so quiet here today.
- SarahJa, ich höre absolut kein Bellen.Yes, I hear absolutely no barking.
- LukasDas ist sehr entspannend für den Spaziergang.That is very relaxing for the walk.
- SarahStimmt, Lukas, es ist sehr friedlich.True, Lukas, it is very peaceful.
