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German · Romance & Rejection

baggern

BAH-gern · /ˈba.ɡɐn/

To hit on someone / chat someone up (persistently)

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"To dredge / to operate an excavator"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Wonderfully unromantic imagery — you bring in the heavy machinery and start digging. "Er baggert sie an" means he's putting the moves on, usually with more effort than finesse. Half-admiring, half-mocking. The noun-y "anbaggern" is the same with the target attached. Bar and party register.

Heard in the wild

Der baggert schon den ganzen Abend die Kellnerin an.

He's been chatting up the waitress all evening.

Where it lands

Germany — colloquial, universal

Quick answers

What does "baggern" mean?
In German, "baggern" means "To hit on someone / chat someone up (persistently)". Literally it's "To dredge / to operate an excavator". Wonderfully unromantic imagery — you bring in the heavy machinery and start digging. "Er baggert sie an" means he's putting the moves on, usually with more effort than finesse. Half-admiring, half-mocking. The noun-y "anbaggern" is the same with the target attached. Bar and party register.
Is "baggern" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "baggern"?
Say it "BAH-gern" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈba.ɡɐn.

Related in German

einen Korb geben INE-en KORP GAY-ben To turn someone down / reject an advance jemanden abblitzen lassen YAY-mand-en AP-blit-sen LAH-sen To blow someone off / shoot them down cold fremdgehen FREMT-gay-en To cheat / to have an affair Mach mich nicht an! MAKH mikh nikht AHN Don't hit on me! / Don't start with me! Quatsch! KVATCH Nonsense! / Rubbish! / No way! Arsch ARSH Arse / ass — and the second great compound-engine of German

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Show-off".

how to say "Show-off" →

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