kleckern

Iterative with -ern of earlier klecken (“to spill, splatter”) (see also Klecks).

• IPA^(key): [ˈklɛkɐn]
• Hyphenation: kle‧ckern

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

kleckern (weak, third-person singular present kleckert, past tense kleckerte, past participle gekleckert, auxiliary haben or sein) (informal)

1. (intransitive) to dribble, to spill (fall onto a surface in irregular drops) [auxiliary sein]

   Etwas von der Farbe ist auf den Boden gekleckert.

   Some of the paint dribbled onto the floor.

   1. to trickle (move or appear slowly and in small volumes)
2. (intransitive or transitive) to drip, to spill (cause a liquid or mushy substance to fall in irregular drops) [auxiliary haben] [with mit (+ dative) or accusative ‘a substance’]

   Das Kind kleckert mit dem Ketchup.

   The child is dripping ketchup [onto the table / all over the place].

   Pass auf, sonst kleckerst du den Kaffee auf den Boden.

   Careful, or you'll spill the coffee on the floor.

3. (intransitive, chiefly in contrast with klotzen) to fiddle around [auxiliary haben]

• “kleckern” in Duden online
• “kleckern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache