ritzen
to scratch
To cut or engrave a superficial, narrow line or scratch into a surface.
EXAMPLE
Er ritzte seine Initialen mit einem Messer in die Baumrinde.
He scratched his initials into the tree bark with a knife.
ritzen
to scratch / to cut
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Meanings
sich ritzen
to self-harm
To intentionally injure one's own skin superficially with a sharp object, often as a form of self-harm in connection with mental health problems.
EXAMPLE
In der Therapie lernte sie, mit dem Drang, sich zu ritzen, anders umzugehen.
In therapy, she learned different ways to deal with the urge to self-harm.
Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning changes completely depending on whether the verb is reflexive or not. 'Sich ritzen' (to self-harm by cutting/scratching oneself) almost always refers to self-harm, while 'etwas ritzen' (to scratch/engrave something) describes engraving or scratching a surface.
EXAMPLE
Sie ritzte ein Herz in den Sand.
She scratched a heart into the sand.
Sentence structure and usage pattern
When engraving or scratching a surface, the structure 'etwas (accusative) in etwas (accusative) ritzen' is often used. The first accusative object is the sign or mark, and the second is the surface.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder ritzten ihre Namen in den alten Holztisch.
The children scratched their names into the old wooden table.
Sensitive context
The reflexive form 'sich ritzen' (to self-harm by cutting/scratching oneself) is a very serious and sensitive term from the field of psychology. It describes a form of self-harm and should be used with care.
EXAMPLE
Psychologen helfen Jugendlichen, die sich ritzen.
Psychologists help teenagers who self-harm.
Compare with
ritzen vs schneiden
to cut
Sich schneiden refers here to an accidental injury caused by a sharp object. Sich ritzen, on the other hand, refers to intentionally causing a usually superficial injury to one’s own skin. The decisive difference is therefore whether the injury is accidental or intentional self-harm.
ritzen
Lea erzählt ihrer Therapeutin, dass sie sich absichtlich am Arm ritzt.
Lea tells her therapist that she intentionally cuts her arm.
schneiden
Beim Öffnen der Verpackung schneidet sich Lea versehentlich am Finger.
Lea accidentally cuts her finger while opening the package.
In real life
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