pieksen
to poke
To briefly and lightly prick or poke someone or something with a pointed object or a finger.
EXAMPLE
Sie piekste mich mit dem Finger in die Seite.
She poked me in the side with her finger.
pieksen
to poke
pieksen – piekste – hat gepiekst
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Meanings
pieksen
to prick
To cause a brief, stabbing pain or to be felt as such a pain.
EXAMPLE
Die Wunde piekst noch ein bisschen.
The wound is still pricking a little.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry pieksen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | piekse |
|---|---|
| du | piekst |
| er/sie/es | piekst |
| wir | pieksen |
| ihr | piekst |
| sie | pieksen |
Simple past
| ich | piekste |
|---|---|
| du | piekstest |
| er/sie/es | piekste |
| wir | pieksten |
| ihr | piekstet |
| sie | pieksten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe gepiekst |
|---|---|
| du | hast gepiekst |
| er/sie/es | hat gepiekst |
| wir | haben gepiekst |
| ihr | habt gepiekst |
| sie | haben gepiekst |
Commands
| du | pieks! piekse! |
|---|---|
| ihr | piekst! |
| Sie | pieksen Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte gepiekst |
|---|---|
| du | hattest gepiekst |
| er/sie/es | hatte gepiekst |
| wir | hatten gepiekst |
| ihr | hattet gepiekst |
| sie | hatten gepiekst |
Future
| ich | werde pieksen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst pieksen |
| er/sie/es | wird pieksen |
| wir | werden pieksen |
| ihr | werdet pieksen |
| sie | werden pieksen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | piekse |
|---|---|
| du | pieksest |
| er/sie/es | piekse |
| wir | pieksen |
| ihr | piekset |
| sie | pieksen |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | piekste |
|---|---|
| du | piekstest |
| er/sie/es | piekste |
| wir | pieksten |
| ihr | piekstet |
| sie | pieksten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | pieksen |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu pieksen |
| present participle | pieksend |
| past participle | gepiekst |
Usage tips
Informal style
'Pieksen' (to poke / prick) is a fairly informal verb and is often used in everyday situations for brief, light pokes or pricking sensations.
EXAMPLE
Der kleine Dorn piekst mich beim Anziehen.
The little thorn pokes me when I get dressed.
Warum piekst du mich ständig?
Why do you keep poking me?
Typical construction
When referring to a brief poke, the person affected is usually in the accusative case; the part of the body is often given with 'in' and the accusative. A phrase with 'mit' can also be used to indicate the tool or body part used.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind piekste seinen Bruder mit einem Stift in den Arm.
The child poked his brother in the arm with a pencil.
Pain as the subject
When describing a painful sensation, the wound, scar, or part of the body is often the subject of 'pieksen' (to prick). 'Es piekst' (it pricks) is also possible when the exact location is not mentioned.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Verbandwechsel piekst die Wunde wieder.
The wound starts pricking again after the dressing change.
Wenn ich mich bücke, piekst es unter der Narbe.
When I bend over, it pricks under the scar.
Testing by poking
When testing something, 'pieksen' (to poke) is often used with 'in' and the accusative. An infinitive clause with 'um zu' often follows to explain the purpose of the poke.
EXAMPLE
Sie piekste mit einer Gabel in den Kuchen, um zu prüfen, ob er durchgebacken war.
She poked a fork into the cake to check whether it was baked through.
In real life
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