schnorcheln

Meaning (in English)

schnorcheln means to snorkel: to swim at the water’s surface while breathing through a snorkel (usually with a mask, sometimes with fins). It’s typically used for relaxed swimming and observing underwater life without diving deep.

It can also be used more generally for swimming with a snorkel, even outside a “holiday” context.

Word parts

• Schnorchel = snorkel (the breathing tube)
• -n (verb ending) → schnorcheln = to use a snorkel / to snorkel

German synonyms (depending on context)

• mit dem Schnorchel schwimmen (descriptive)
• Schnorcheltauchen (noun; snorkeling as an activity)
• In casual speech, sometimes simply schwimmen (if the snorkel aspect is not important)

German antonyms (approximate / context-based)

There isn’t a direct, fixed antonym, but contrasting activities include:

• tauchen (to dive, especially deeper / scuba diving)
• nicht schwimmen (not to swim) or an Land bleiben (to stay on land), depending on the contrast intended