singen

Singen is the German verb meaning to sing. It denotes the act of producing vocal melodies with the voice and is used in a variety of constructions, such as "Ich singe" (I sing) or "Ich singe ein Lied" (I sing a song). The related noun "das Singen" refers to the act itself, while "der Gesang" can denote singing as a musical phenomenon or style.

Grammar and forms: Singen is a strong (irregular) verb. Present tense forms are ich singe, du singst, er singt, wir singen, ihr singt, sie singen. Präteritum (simple past) forms include ich sang, du sangst, er sang, wir sangen, ihr sangt, sie sangen. The past participle is gesungen, and the auxiliary verb used in perfect tenses is haben: "Ich habe gesungen." Imperative forms include sing! (informal singular) and singt! (plural); we also commonly say "Lass uns singen" for "let us sing."

Usage and derivatives: The verb appears in many common expressions, such as "mit singen" (to sing along) and "ein Lied singen" (to sing a song). The noun "das Singen" describes the activity, while related words include "der Sänger" (singer) and "die Sängerin" (female singer). Singen also appears in idiomatic phrases and in descriptions of musical performances, choirs, and vocal training.

Geographic name: Singen is also the name of a town in the district of Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It lies near Lake Constance and close to the Swiss border, with the Hohentwiel rock and fortress as a notable regional landmark.