kratzen

From Middle High German kratzen, from Old High German krazzōn, chrazzōn, from Proto-Germanic *krattōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gred- (“to scrape”); compare Albanian gërresë (“rasp, scraper”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʁat͡sn̩/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: krat‧zen

kratzen (weak, third-person singular present kratzt, past tense kratzte, past participle gekratzt, auxiliary haben)

1. (transitive or intransitive) to scratch (rub a surface with a sharp, pointy rough object, especially to remove itching)
   1. to remove by scratching, to scrape something off

      Eis von der Scheibe kratzen ― to scratch ice off the window

   2. to produce a noise by scratching

      Die Nadel kratzt über die Schallplatte. ― The needle shrieks on the vinyl.

2. (intransitive) to scratch, to be scratchy or itchy (to cause itching)

   Synonyms: schrappen, schrammen, schaben

   Mein Pullover kratzt. ― My sweater is itchy.

3. (transitive) to scratch (mark a surface with a sharp object)

   Jemand hat seine Initialen in die Scheibe gekratzt.

   Someone has scratched their initials into the glass.

4. (intransitive) to mar, to undermine (an established quality) [with an (+ dative)]

   an jemandes Ego kratzen ― to bruise someone's ego

   an jemandes Image kratzen ― to mar someone's public image

5. (intransitive) to be about to cross into, to have almost reached (a record, benchmark, etc.) [with an (+ dative)]

   Die Dönerpreise kratzen an der 8-Euro-Marke. ― Kebap prices are about to cross 8 Euros.

6. (colloquial, chiefly in the negative, transitive) to annoy, to bother

   Synonym: jucken

   Das kratzt mich nicht. ― I don't care. (literally, “That doesn't bother me.”)

7. (slang) to jack, to mooch, to steal

• “kratzen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “kratzen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “kratzen” in Duden online
• “kratzen” in OpenThesaurus.de