German Gossip & Rumours Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of secrets and talk you're not supposed to repeat: das Gerücht (rumour), der Klatsch (gossip), and das Geheimnis (secret) are the nouns you'll build most sentences around. One trap for English speakers: verpfeifen doesn't mean "to whistle" in any literal sense here, it means to squeal on someone, rat them out, betray their secret to an authority. The literal whistling sense (pfeifen) is buried in there, but the verb has drifted completely into "snitching" territory.
Learn these 17 words
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All 17 words
- flüsternA1
to whisper
Er flüstert ihr ein Geheimnis zu. — He whispers a secret to her.
plural: die Gerüchte
rumour
Ein Gerücht verbreitet sich schnell in der Schule. — A rumour spreads quickly at school.
gossip
Sie liebt Klatsch über berühmte Leute. — She loves gossip about famous people.
plural: die Petzen
snitch, tattletale
Niemand mag eine Petze in der Klasse. — Nobody likes a snitch in the class.
to gossip
Die Nachbarn tratschen gern über andere. — The neighbours like to gossip about others.
to reveal, to disclose
Der Journalist enthüllte ein großes Geheimnis. — The journalist revealed a big secret.
plural: die Geheimnisse
secret
Das kann ich dir nicht sagen. Das ist ein Geheimnis. — I can't tell you that. It's a secret.
whispering, murmuring
Das Getuschel im Klassenzimmer störte den Lehrer. — The whispering in the classroom disturbed the teacher.
- lästernB1
to bad-mouth, to gossip meanly
Sie lästern gern über ihre Kollegen. — They like to bad-mouth their colleagues.
- tuschelnB1
to whisper secretly
Die Mädchen tuscheln in der Ecke. — The girls are whispering in the corner.
plural: die Verräter
traitor, betrayer
Niemand vertraut dem Verräter mehr. — Nobody trusts the traitor anymore.
confidential
Diese Information ist streng vertraulich. — This information is strictly confidential.
rumors / whispering / gossip
Das Gemunkel über den neuen Chef war überall. — The gossip about the new boss was everywhere.
bickering / quarreling
Das ständige Gezänk zwischen den beiden Nachbarn war ermüdend. — The constant bickering between the two neighbors was exhausting.
- munkelnB2
to be rumored
Man munkelt, dass er die Firma verlässt. — It is rumored that he is leaving the company.
plural: die Spitzel
informer, spy
Der Spitzel verriet alle Geheimnisse der Gruppe. — The informer revealed all the group's secrets.
to gossip about
Sie beklatschen ständig ihre Nachbarin. — They constantly gossip about their neighbor.
How to learn this set
Notice how many of these words are built on sound: tuscheln, Getuschel, flüstern, and Gemunkel all describe the quiet, murmuring noise gossip actually makes, while lästern and tratschen describe the content and intent. Drill tuscheln against Getuschel and munkeln against Gemunkel as verb/noun pairs from the same root, since German constantly recycles a verb stem into a related noun this way. Also group der Verräter, der Spitzel, and die Petze together as "people who tell" (traitor, informer, snitch) since they're easy to mix up when you're trying to recall which one fits a given betrayal.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between der Klatsch and das Gerücht?
Klatsch is gossip as a general activity or topic, like small talk about other people's lives. Gerücht is a specific unverified claim going around, closer to "a rumour" as a countable thing.
Is lästern the same as tratschen?
No. Tratschen is neutral gossiping, just talking about others. Lästern has an edge of mockery or meanness, closer to bad-mouthing someone behind their back.
What does verpfeifen actually mean?
It means to inform on someone or rat them out, usually to a teacher, boss, or authority. It's informal and carries the same schoolyard-betrayal feel as calling someone a Petze.
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