01
stechen
to sting / prick
To penetrate something with a pointed object, such as a needle or an insect stinger, often causing a small wound or pain.
example
Die Biene hat mich in den Arm gestochen.
The bee stung me in the arm.
stechen
to sting / stab
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'stechen' from the subject: An insect 'sticht' (stings/causes a wound), the sun 'sticht' (is intense), 'es sticht' (there is a stabbing pain), and a ship 'sticht in See' (sets sail).
EXAMPLE
Achtung, eine Wespe sticht dich gleich!
Careful, a wasp is about to sting you!
Sentence structure for stings
When an insect or a person stings or pricks someone, the affected body part is given with the preposition 'in' and the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt stach die Nadel in den Arm des Patienten.
The doctor stuck the needle into the patient's arm.
Impersonal pain
To describe a sudden, stabbing pain, you use the impersonal construction 'Es sticht' + dative (person) + 'in' + dative (body region).
EXAMPLE
Beim Treppensteigen sticht es mir im Knie.
When I climb stairs, I get a stabbing pain in my knee.
Intense sensory impressions
In this meaning, 'stechen' is used for intense, often unpleasant impressions such as sun, smell, or even a color. Here the verb is used without an object.
EXAMPLE
Der Geruch von altem Fisch stach in der Nase.
The smell of old fish stung the nose.
Context: card games
In the context of card games, 'stechen' means to beat a card with a higher-ranking card. The structure is: 'jemandes Karte mit einer anderen Karte stechen' (to trump someone's card with another card).
EXAMPLE
Ich konnte seinen König mit meinem Ass stechen.
I was able to trump his king with my ace.
Sentence structure for tattoos
When someone has a tattoo or piercing done, you use the construction 'sich (dative) etwas (accusative) stechen lassen' (to have something tattooed/pierced). The verb 'lassen' (to let/have something done) is crucial here.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich einen Drachen auf den Rücken stechen lassen.
He had a dragon tattooed on his back.
Typical collocations
In agriculture or horticulture, 'stechen' is used for harvesting certain plants or materials. Typical objects are 'Spargel' (asparagus) or 'Torf' (peat).
EXAMPLE
Die Bauern stechen den ersten Spargel im April.
The farmers harvest the first asparagus in April.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'in See stechen' is a fixed unit and means that a ship begins its journey at sea. The verb 'stechen' is not used on its own here.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän gab den Befehl, in See zu stechen.
The captain gave the order to set sail.
Compare with
stechen vs ziehen
to pull / move
'ziehen' and 'stechen' can both occur in card games, but there they refer to different actions. 'ziehen' means that you take a card from a deck or from a face-down pile. 'stechen' means that you beat another card with a stronger card and win the trick. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with cards. Remember: you 'ziehst' a new card into your hand, but you 'stichst' a card during play.
stechen
Mit dem Ass kann Anna die Karte des anderen Spielers stechen.
With the ace, Anna can trump the other player's card.
ziehen
Wenn Max keine passende Karte hat, muss er eine neue Karte ziehen.
If Max doesn't have a suitable card, he has to draw a new card.
In real life
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