staunen

Staunen is a German verb meaning to be astonished or to marvel. The related noun das Staunen denotes astonishment or awe. The verb is common in everyday language and can express a range of surprised or impressed reactions.

Usage matters: staunen takes the preposition über when the cause of astonishment is a noun phrase, as in Ich staune über das Ergebnis. It can also introduce subordinate clauses: Ich staune, dass du so schnell gelaufen bist. The verb is less common in very formal writing than sich wundern, but it remains standard and often conveys a stronger sense of awe or admiration.

Conjugation forms: Present tense is ich staune, du staunst, er staunt, wir staunen, ihr staunt, sie staunen. Preterite (simple past) forms are ich staunte, du stauntest, er staunte, wir staunten, ihr stauntet, sie staunten. The past participle is gestaunt, and the auxiliary use is haben (Ich habe gestaunt).

Etymology and related forms: Staunen is a native German verb with attestations in Old High German and other early Germanic sources. It has cognates in other West Germanic languages, such as Dutch staunen. The precise historical origin is not always clear, but the word consistently carries the sense of perceiving something as wondrous or remarkable.