schnaufen

to pant; to huff and puff

verb SHNOW-fen Rare

Usage Note

schnaufen describes heavy, audible breathing under physical exertion. Keuchend schnaufen (to pant and wheeze) after climbing stairs is a typical image. It is more informal than keuchen and sounds slightly comic.

Examples

"Er schnaufte nach dem steilen Aufstieg und musste kurz pausieren."

Natural Translation

He panted after the steep climb and had to pause briefly.

Literal Translation

He panted after the steep ascent and had to briefly pause.

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