schlittern
Translation
to slide, to skid, to slither
Examples
Das Auto schlitterte auf dem Eis.
The car skidded on the ice.
Die Kinder schlittern den Hügel hinunter.
The children are sliding down the hill.
Wir sind in eine Krise geschlittert.
We slid into a crisis.
Grammar Patterns
to slide/skid ((on sth.dat)) to slide on sth. The car skidded on the wet road.
to slide ((into sth.acc)) to slide into sth. (often figurative) The country slid into recession.
to slide ((somewhere)) to slide to a location He slid across the floor.
Similar Words
Synonyms: rutschen (to slip), gleiten (to glide)
Etymology
Related to Middle High German 'sliten' (to slide), cognate with English 'slide'. The '-ern' suffix often indicates a repeated action.
Memory Tips
Imagine a 'Schlitten' (sled) 'schlittern'-ing (sliding) down a hill. The words sound similar.