Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| laufen | /ˈlaʊ̯fən/ |
| rennen | /ˈʁɛnn̩/ (Germany) /ˈʁɛnɛn/ (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland) |
Both verbs describe moving quickly on two feet. While laufen is the standard term, Germans also frequently use the loanword joggen to specifically refer to running for exercise. Related nouns include Lauf or Rennen for the act of running, and Spurt for an instance of hurrying to or from a place.
Which one should you use?
Use rennen when you want to emphasize high speed or sprinting. In contrast, laufen is more general. In many German dialects and in casual speech, it can mean both running and walking or jogging. Regarding related nouns, der Lauf refers to a path, course or the act of running, while das Rennen often refers to a competitive race.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many German dialects, laufen is commonly used to mean both running and walking.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because both laufen and rennen involve a change of location, they use the auxiliary verb sein (to be) instead of haben (to have) when forming the perfect tense, such as in ist gelaufen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlaʊ̯fən/
Did you know?
- The German expression läuft is sometimes used as slang to describe a situation that is going well or is 'working out'.
- The word laufen is also used to describe things that do not have legs, such as a 'running' nose or a 'running' engine.
- The German word laufen is a distant relative of the English words 'leap' and 'lope', showing a shared history of movement.
Examples in context
- Er begann zu rennen.He began to run.This sentence uses rennen to show the start of a fast movement.Tatoeba #1284395 by Esperantostern, translation #300899 by CK
- Er geht gerne laufen.He likes to run.This sentence uses laufen to express a preference for running.Tatoeba #1314630 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #630421 by CK
- Du musst jetzt laufen.You have to run now.This sentence uses laufen to express a necessity to move.Tatoeba #8621914 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #11518365 by sundown
- Bitte nicht hier laufenPlease do not run here
- Komm, lass uns im Park rennenCome on, let's run in the park
- Lass uns laufen gehenLet's go for a run
- Komm, wir rasen den Hügel hinunterCome on, let's run down the hill
- Nein, bitte nicht hier laufenNo, please do not run here
- 203 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding on a physical activity in the park.
- FelixLaura, möchtest du heute mit mir laufen?Laura, do you want to run with me today?
- LauraJa, ich möchte gerne laufen.Yes, I would like to run.
- FelixDann laufen wir jetzt los.Then let's start running now.
- LauraOkay, Felix, ich bin bereit.Okay, Felix, I am ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “run” translations and entries laufen, rennen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries laufen, rennen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
