Meaning 1informal; neutral · 82%
To strike something or someone forcefully with a hand or a tool.
Natural examples
Er haute mit der Faust gegen die Tür.
He pounded the door with his fist.
Der Holzfäller haute mit dem Beil auf einen dicken Ast.
The woodcutter struck a thick branch with an axe.
Bitte hau nicht auf den Tisch.
Please do not hit the table.
Usage note
Hauen is colloquial and can sound aggressive. The perfect is usually hat gehauen; hieb also occurs for chopping down.
Mini-lesson: hauen
To strike something or someone forcefully with a hand or a tool. Hauen is colloquial and can sound aggressive. The perfect is usually hat gehauen; hieb also occurs for chopping down.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which definition matches «hauen»?