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meckern

to gripe

verb MEK-kern Less Common
Communication Speech

Origin: imitative of a goat's bleat

Also means

to bleat

Usage Note

meckern is colloquial for complaining or nagging about minor things: über alles meckern. It literally means a goat bleating, so it implies petty, constant grumbling. The noun Meckerei names such carping. Often paired with ständig (constantly).

Examples

"Er meckert über jede Kleinigkeit."

Natural Translation

He gripes about every little thing.

Literal Translation

He gripes about every little-thing.

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