das Stechen
stabbing
The act of piercing or puncturing with a pointed object or weapon.
EXAMPLE
Das Stechen mit dem Messer verletzte ihn schwer.
The stabbing with the knife seriously injured him.
das Stechen
stabbing / stinging / tiebreaker
das Stechen, die Stechen
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Meanings
das Stechen
stabbing pain
A sharp, localized pain that feels like being pricked or stabbed.
EXAMPLE
Beim Atmen spürte sie ein starkes Stechen in der Brust.
She felt a severe stabbing pain in her chest when breathing.
das Stechen
tiebreaker
An additional contest or round that determines the winner when competitors are tied.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Gleichstand musste ein Stechen über den ersten Platz entscheiden.
After the tie, a tiebreaker had to decide first place.
das Stechen
stinging / biting
The act of an insect or another animal stinging or biting, using its venom or stinger.
EXAMPLE
Ein Moskitonetz schützt nachts vor dem Stechen der Insekten.
A mosquito net protects against insect bites at night.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Stechen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Stechen |
| genitive | des Stechens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Stechen | die Stechen |
| accusative | das Stechen | die Stechen |
| dative | dem Stechen | den Stechen |
| genitive | des Stechens | der Stechen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Nominalized verb
'Das Stechen' (stabbing, stinging, or a tiebreaker) is formed from the verb 'stechen' (to stab or sting) and denotes an action or process. It therefore often appears with prepositions such as 'beim' (during or when) or 'durch' (through or by) in set descriptions of situations.
EXAMPLE
Beim Stechen mit einer Nadel muss man besonders vorsichtig sein.
You have to be especially careful when piercing something with a needle.
Typical collocation
In this sense, 'das Stechen' (stabbing) often appears with a phrase specifying the tool or weapon, especially with 'mit' (with) followed by the dative.
EXAMPLE
Das Stechen mit einem spitzen Gegenstand kann tiefe Wunden verursachen.
Stabbing with a pointed object can cause deep wounds.
Describing pain
In the pain sense, 'das Stechen' (stabbing pain) is often linked to a part of the body, for example 'in der Brust' (in the chest) or 'in der Seite' (in the side). Modifiers such as 'starkes' (severe) or 'plötzliches' (sudden) are also typical.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem schnellen Lauf begann ein starkes Stechen in seiner Seite.
After his fast run, he began to feel a severe stabbing pain in his side.
Competition context
In competitions, 'das Stechen' (tiebreaker) often appears with phrases such as 'um den Sieg' (for victory) or 'um den ersten Platz' (for first place). Other context clues include 'Gleichstand' (tie), 'Runde' (round), and 'entscheiden' (to decide).
EXAMPLE
Am Ende kam es zu einem Stechen um den Sieg.
In the end, there was a tiebreaker to decide the winner.
Animal as the cause
In this sense, words such as 'Wespe' (wasp), 'Biene' (bee), 'Stachel' (stinger), or 'Gift' (venom) indicate that an animal is the cause. The cause is often expressed in the genitive.
EXAMPLE
Das ständige Stechen der Mücken hielt uns die ganze Nacht wach.
The constant biting of the mosquitoes kept us awake all night.
In real life
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