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quengeln

to whine, to fuss, to pester with persistent complaining

verb KVEN-geln Rare
Communication Speech

Usage Note

quengeln describes a nagging, fretful kind of whining, especially associated with children who pester adults repeatedly. 'Das Kind quengelt schon seit einer Stunde' (The child has been whining for an hour). Adults can also quengeln when they complain in a childish, persistent way.

Examples

"Das Kind quengelte ununterbrochen, weil es Hunger hatte und ins Bett wollte."

Natural Translation

The child whined non-stop because it was hungry and wanted to go to bed.

Literal Translation

The child whined non-stop, because it hunger had and into bed wanted.

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