abpfeifen

blow the final whistle

verb AHP-pfai-fen Rare

Also means

stop play

Usage Note

abpfeifen is the referee's act of whistling to stop or end play, a separable verb: Der Schiedsrichter pfeift ab. The corresponding noun is Abpfiff. The opposite is anpfeifen, to whistle play on.

Examples

"Der Schiedsrichter pfiff die Partie pünktlich ab."

Natural Translation

The referee blew the final whistle on time.

Literal Translation

The referee whistled the match punctually off.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Cases Explained Simply (4 Cases)

German has four cases, and each answers one question: wer, wen, wem, wessen. Learn nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive without drowning in charts.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read