ticken
to tick
To produce the regular, quiet sound that is typical of a clock or an alarm clock.
EXAMPLE
Die alte Standuhr im Flur tickt sehr laut.
The old grandfather clock in the hallway ticks very loudly.
ticken
to tick / work
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Meanings
ticken
to tick
Colloquial for the way a person thinks, feels, or works.
EXAMPLE
Ich verstehe einfach nicht, wie er tickt.
I just don't understand how he ticks.
nicht richtig ticken
to not be right in the head
Colloquial for being crazy or behaving very unreasonably.
EXAMPLE
Der tickt doch nicht richtig, bei diesem Wetter ohne Jacke rauszugehen!
He can't be right in the head, going out without a jacket in this weather!
Usage tips
Context clues
The meaning of 'ticken' (to tick) depends heavily on the subject. If the subject is a clock, it refers to the sound. If the subject is a person, the colloquial meaning 'to think' or 'to function' is meant.
EXAMPLE
Meine Armbanduhr tickt nicht mehr, die Batterie ist wohl leer.
My watch isn't ticking anymore; the battery is probably dead.
Colloquial use
The use of 'ticken' (to tick) for the way a person thinks or functions is typical of colloquial speech. You often hear it in informal conversations.
EXAMPLE
Sag mal, wie tickt dein neuer Kollege eigentlich so?
Tell me, what is your new colleague actually like?
Fixed expression
The phrase 'nicht richtig ticken' (to not be right in the head) is a fixed expression. It is always used in this form to express that someone is behaving unreasonably or seems to be crazy.
EXAMPLE
Du willst bei diesem Gewitter wandern gehen? Du tickst doch nicht richtig!
You want to go hiking in this thunderstorm? You must not be right in the head!
Sentence structure with 'wie'
In the colloquial meaning, 'ticken' (to tick) is often used in subordinate clauses with the question word 'wie' (how) to question or describe the way someone thinks or acts.
EXAMPLE
Es ist schwer zu verstehen, wie diese Organisation tickt.
It is hard to understand how this organization ticks.
Compare with
ticken vs denken
to think
Denken refers to specific thoughts, ideas, or opinions. Ticken is a colloquial, broader way of describing how a person generally thinks, feels, or functions internally.
ticken
Insgesamt ticke ich anders als Lea.
Overall, I operate differently from Lea.
denken
Bei dieser Frage denke ich anders als Lea.
I think differently from Lea on this question.
In real life
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