strahlt

Strahlt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb strahlen. Strahlen means to shine, radiate, or emit light, and it can also be used metaphorically to describe a person, their mood, or an atmosphere that seems to glow or be filled with energy. The noun Strahl (beam or ray) is the origin of the verb, and the concept of radiating light or energy is shared by related words such as Ausstrahlung (radiance, aura).

Conjugation and forms

In present tense: ich strahle, du strahlst, er strahlt, wir strahlen, ihr strahlt, sie strahlen. The imperfect (simple past) forms are: ich strahlte, du strahltest, er strahlte, wir strahlten, ihr strahltet, sie strahlten. The past participle is gestrahlt, used with haben to form the present perfect: ich habe gestrahlt. The future tense is formed with werden: ich werde strahlen.

Usage notes

Strahlen is used for physical light, as in Die Sonne strahlt am Himmel (The sun is shining in the sky), and for metaphorical brightness, as in Er strahlt vor Freude (He radiates with joy). The verb also appears in the reflexive and derived form ausstrahlen, meaning to emit or exude, such as eine positive Ausstrahlung ausstrahlen. Adjective forms include strahlend and ein strahlendes Lächeln (a radiant smile).

See also

Related terms include Strahl (beam, ray), Strahlung (radiation), and Ausstrahlung (radiance, aura).