klingt

Klingt is the third-person singular present indicative form of the German verb klingen, which means to sound or to ring. The infinitive klingen is used to describe auditory perception of tones, voices, or noises, as well as metaphorical senses of sound in relation to ideas or situations. In everyday speech, kling(t) is commonly found in phrases like Es klingt gut (That sounds good) or Das klingt nach Ärger (That sounds like trouble).

Etymology and related forms: The verb klingen is related to the noun Klang, meaning sound or tone. Its vocabulary reflects a general Germanic family of words associated with hearing and resonance. The present tense forms follow standard conjugation patterns for the verb class, with the typical 3rd person singular form kling t and the past tense forms like klang, klangen, and geklungen for different tenses.

Usage and examples: Practically, klingen governs descriptions of audible qualities. Examples include Es klingt schön (It sounds beautiful), Der Ton klingt scharf (The tone sounds sharp), and Das klingt nach einem Plan (That sounds like a plan). Metaphorically, it can express subjective impressions of ideas or proposals, such as Das klingt sinnvoll (That sounds reasonable) or Es klingt, als ob wir uns irren.

Grammar notes: klingen is intransitive and typically used with no direct object. The past participle geklungen is used with haben to form the perfect tense, as in Es hat geklungen. The verb can also appear in subordinate clauses with wie, als ob, or nach to introduce comparisons or speculations.