01
der Ritz
scratch
A fine, superficial scratch, crack, or narrow notch in a surface.
example
Beim Verschieben des Schranks habe ich einen Ritz ins Parkett gemacht.
When moving the cabinet, I made a scratch in the parquet floor.
der Ritz
scratch
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Ritz' is closely related to the verb 'ritzen' (to scratch or cut a fine line into a surface). If you know the verb, you can easily work out the meaning of the noun.
EXAMPLE
Er ritzte seine Initialen in die Baumrinde.
He scratched his initials into the tree bark.
Typical collocations
The word is often mentioned together with the surface that was damaged. Typical examples are 'ein Ritz im Lack' (a scratch in the paint), 'ein Ritz im Glas' (a scratch in the glass), or 'ein Ritz in der CD' (a scratch on the CD).
EXAMPLE
Vorsicht, das neue Handy hat schon einen Ritz im Display!
Careful, the new phone already has a scratch on the display!
Sentence structure and usage
People often use the construction 'einen Ritz in etwas (Akkusativ) machen' (to make a scratch in something). If you did not cause the scratch yourself, you can also say 'etwas hat einen Ritz' (something has a scratch).
EXAMPLE
Mit dem Schlüssel habe ich aus Versehen einen Ritz in den Tisch gemacht.
I accidentally made a scratch in the table with the key.
Compare with
Ritz vs Riss
crack / rift
'Riss' and 'Ritz' both describe narrow damage in a surface. A 'Riss' is usually more noticeable and may be deeper or longer. It occurs when something tears, breaks, or splits, for example a wall, a glass, or fabric. A 'Ritz' is more of a fine, superficial scratch or a small notch. The words can be confused because both refer to narrow lines in a material. As a simple guide: a 'Riss' seems more serious, while a 'Ritz' seems smaller and more superficial.
Ritz
Mehmet entdeckt einen kleinen Ritz auf dem Display seines Handys.
Mehmet discovers a small scratch on his phone's screen.
Riss
Nach dem Sturm war ein langer Riss in der alten Fensterscheibe.
After the storm, there was a long crack in the old windowpane.
In real life
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