01
tasten
to feel
To carefully feel or search with the hands or fingers, usually because one cannot see anything.
example
Im Dunkeln tastete sie nach dem Lichtschalter.
In the dark, she felt for the light switch.
tasten
to feel
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'tasten' (to feel) is related to the noun 'die Taste' (key, e.g. on a keyboard or a piano). Both have to do with touch by the fingers.
EXAMPLE
Er bedient die Tastatur, ohne hinzusehen; er tastet nur nach den richtigen Buchstaben.
He operates the keyboard without looking; he just feels for the right letters.
Fixed preposition
When you are searching for something, 'tasten' (to feel) is used with the preposition 'nach' and the dative. The structure is: nach etwas tasten (to feel for something).
EXAMPLE
Sie tastete mit der Hand nach ihrem Schlüssel in der Tasche.
She felt in her bag with her hand for her key.
Reflexive use
In the meaning 'sich vorsichtig bewegen' (to move carefully), the verb is reflexive: 'sich tasten' (to feel one's way). It is often followed by a preposition that describes the path, e.g. 'durch' (through), 'an … entlang' (along), or 'zu' (to).
EXAMPLE
Der Blinde tastete sich vorsichtig an der Wand entlang.
The blind man carefully felt his way along the wall.
Compare with
tasten vs fühlen
to feel
'fühlen' and 'tasten' can both mean perceiving something with your hands or fingers. 'fühlen' is more general: you feel whether something is cold, hard, or smooth. 'tasten' usually means that you carefully search or check with your hands, often because you can see poorly or not at all. It can also describe moving forward slowly and checking the way. The words are easy to confuse because both have to do with the sense of touch. 'fühlen' fits the perception; 'tasten' fits when the careful searching movement is important.
tasten
Im dunklen Flur tastet sie nach dem Lichtschalter.
In the dark hallway, she feels for the light switch.
fühlen
Der Handwerker fühlt mit der Hand, ob die Wand noch feucht ist.
The tradesman feels with his hand whether the wall is still damp.
In real life
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