01
wischen
to mop
To clean a smooth surface, especially a floor, with a damp cloth or mop.
example
Ich muss nach dem Essen noch schnell die Küche wischen.
After dinner, I still have to quickly mop the kitchen.
wischen
to wipe / to swipe
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning of 'wischen' (to wipe/mop/swipe) from the object: 'Den Boden wischen' (to mop the floor) means to clean. 'Sich die Tränen wischen' (to wipe away one's tears) means to dry. 'Auf dem Handy wischen' (to swipe on the phone) means to navigate.
EXAMPLE
Sie wischte den verschütteten Kaffee vom Tisch.
She wiped the spilled coffee off the table.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'reinigen' (to clean), 'wischen' (to mop/wipe) is often combined with the place or the dirt. Typical examples are 'den Boden wischen' (to mop the floor), 'die Fliesen wischen' (to wipe/mop the tiles), or 'Staub wischen' (to dust).
EXAMPLE
Am Samstagmorgen wische ich immer Staub in der ganzen Wohnung.
On Saturday mornings, I always dust the whole apartment.
Sentence structure and usage
When wiping something off your face, a reflexive structure is often used: 'sich (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) aus/von dem Gesicht wischen' (to wipe something off/from one's face).
EXAMPLE
Das Kind wischte sich die Schokolade aus dem Gesicht.
The child wiped the chocolate off their face.
Directions
When operating a touchscreen, 'wischen' (to swipe) is almost always combined with a direction: 'nach links wischen' (to swipe left), 'nach rechts wischen' (to swipe right), 'nach oben wischen' (to swipe up), or 'nach unten wischen' (to swipe down).
EXAMPLE
Wische nach oben, um das Kontrollzentrum zu öffnen.
Swipe up to open the control center.
Fixed expression
The expression 'jemandem eine wischen' (to give someone a slap) is a fixed structure. The person receiving the blow is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er war so wütend, dass er seinem Gegner am liebsten eine gewischt hätte.
He was so angry that he would have loved to give his opponent a slap.
Register
The expression 'jemandem eine wischen' (to give someone a slap) belongs to colloquial language. It is rarely used in formal or written texts.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, was du sagst, sonst wisch ich dir eine!
Watch what you say, or I'll give you a slap!
Compare with
wischen vs fahren
to drive / ride
'über etwas fahren' (to run over something) and 'wischen' (to wipe) can both describe a movement with the hand or an object over a surface. The difference lies in the goal. 'über etwas fahren' mainly says that the hand or an object glides or moves over the surface. 'wischen' usually means that you remove, dry, or clean something in the process. The words can be confused because the movement looks similar. If only the movement is important, 'fahren' fits; if cleaning or removing something is meant, 'wischen' is more precise.
wischen
Nach dem Essen wischte Maria die Krümel vom Tisch.
After the meal, Maria wiped the crumbs off the table.
fahren
Er fuhr mit der Hand über den alten Holztisch.
He ran his hand over the old wooden table.
In real life
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