German

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Alternative forms

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  • rekeln (both forms are roughly equally common)

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈʁɛːkəln/ (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
  • IPA(key): /ˈʁeːkəln/ (overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: rä‧keln

Verb

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räkeln (weak, third-person singular present räkelt, past tense räkelte, past participle geräkelt, auxiliary haben)

  1. (reflexive) to stretch, pandiculate; to loll, to lounge, to sprawl, to stretch out (e.g. on a sofa)
    Synonym: strecken
    Er wachte auf, erhob sich und fing an, sich zu räkeln.
    He awoke, got up, and started stretching.
    Meine Katze räkelt sich gerne vor dem Kamin.
    My cat likes to lounge in front of the fireplace.

Usage notes

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Some language users perceive the word as somewhat informal, others as standard.

Conjugation

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Further reading

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  • räkeln” in Duden online
  • räkeln” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache