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seifen

to soap (up); to lather

verb ZYE-fen Rare
Body & Health Personal Care

Usage Note

seifen (or einseifen) means rubbing soap into skin or hair to lather. Sich einseifen (to soap oneself up) is the reflexive personal-care form. A barber seift ein before shaving a customer (einseife).

Examples

"Er seifte sich gründlich die Hände ein und spülte sie dreißig Sekunden lang ab."

Natural Translation

He thoroughly soaped up his hands and rinsed them for thirty seconds.

Literal Translation

He soaped himself thoroughly the hands in and rinsed them thirty seconds long.

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