to tickle
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to tickle
To make someone laugh or cause involuntary twitches through light, repeated touches on sensitive parts of the body.
Die Kinder kitzelten sich gegenseitig, bis sie nicht mehr konnten vor Lachen.
The children tickled each other until they couldn't laugh anymore.
When one person 'kitzelt' (tickles) another, it refers to an active, intentional touch. When a thing such as smoke or a fabric 'kitzelt' (tickles) someone, it refers to an involuntary, itchy feeling.
Mein Vater hat mich früher immer an den Füßen gekitzelt.
My father used to always tickle my feet.
To say where you tickle someone, you use the preposition 'an' with the dative. The person being tickled is in the accusative.
Sie kitzelte das Baby sanft am Bauch.
She gently tickled the baby on the belly.
The expression 'etwas aus jemandem herauskitzeln' (to coax something out of someone) works like a separable verb. 'Heraus' goes at the end of the sentence, and the person you want something from is connected with 'aus' + dative.
Die Journalistin versuchte, die Wahrheit aus dem Zeugen herauszukitzeln.
The journalist tried to coax the truth out of the witness.
to itch
'jucken' and 'kitzeln' can both describe a light feeling on the skin. 'jucken' is more unpleasant, and you want to scratch yourself. 'kitzeln' can mean that someone lightly touches another person so that they have to laugh. But it can also mean a slight tingling or itching feeling, for example in the nose. That is why learners may confuse the words. For a skin irritation that makes you want to scratch, you usually use 'jucken'. For light touches, laughter, or a delicate feeling in the nose or throat, 'kitzeln' often fits better.
Beim Frühstück kitzelt mich eine Haarsträhne an der Nase.
At breakfast, a strand of hair tickles my nose.
Seit gestern juckt die Stelle unter dem Pflaster.
Since yesterday, the spot under the bandage has been itching.