das
Reißen
📖 What does "das Reißen" mean?
Das Reißen is the nominalization (Substantivierung) of the verb reißen ('to tear'). It refers to the act of tearing materials or a specific type of sudden, pulling, or sharp pain in the body.
It essentially has two main meanings:
- 💨 The act of tearing: Describes the action when something (e.g., Papier 'paper', Stoff 'fabric', Seil 'rope') is torn apart. Example: Das Reißen des Papiers war laut. (The tearing of the paper was loud.)
- 😖 A painful sensation: Describes a sudden, often sharp pain, typically in muscles (Muskeln), tendons (Sehnen), or joints (Gelenken). Example: Ich spürte ein Reißen im Knie. (I felt a tearing sensation/sharp pain in my knee.)
⚠️ It is almost exclusively used in the singular because it describes a process or a sensation.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Deverbal nouns → immer neutral.
These are nouns derived from verbs. They are also called Verbalsubstantive or Verbalnomen.
Deverbal nouns → immer neutral.
These are nouns derived from verbs. They are also called Verbalsubstantive or Verbalnomen.
🧐 Grammar of "das Reißen"
Das Reißen is a nominalized verb (from reißen) and is therefore always neuter (sächlich). It is generally only used in the singular.
Declension Singular
| Case (Kasus) | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das Reißen | ein Reißen |
| Genitive | des Reißens | eines Reißens |
| Dative | dem Reißen | einem Reißen |
| Accusative | das Reißen | ein Reißen |
🚨 A plural form ("die Reißen") is grammatically unusual and not used in practice.
📝 Example Sentences
- Beim Sport zog er sich ein Reißen im Oberschenkel zu.
(During sports, he suffered a tear/sharp pain in his thigh.) - Das Reißen von alten Briefen kann befreiend sein.
(The tearing of old letters can be liberating.) - Sie klagte über ein ständiges Reißen in der Schulter.
(She complained about a constant sharp/pulling pain in her shoulder.) - Man hörte das Reißen des Stoffes.
(One could hear the tearing of the fabric.)
💡 How to use "das Reißen"?
Das Reißen is used in specific contexts:
- Medizin & Körper (Medicine & Body): Very common for describing pain, especially muscle, tendon, or joint pain. Typical phrases include "ein Reißen im Rücken/Knie/Arm haben/spüren" (to have/feel a tearing pain in the back/knee/arm). It often describes a pain that feels like pulling or tearing.
- Materialien (Materials): Describes the act of tearing things like paper, fabric, ropes, etc. Example: "Das Reißen der Kette verursachte einen lauten Knall." (The tearing/snapping of the chain caused a loud bang.)
- Abstrakter Gebrauch (Abstract Use): Less commonly, it can be used metaphorically, e.g., "das Reißen von Geduldsfäden" (the snapping of threads of patience).
Distinction from "der Riss": While das Reißen describes the process or sensation, der Riss refers to the result – the created gap or injury (e.g., der Riss im Papier 'the tear in the paper', der Muskelfaserriss 'the muscle fiber tear').
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Reißen"
For the article (das): Nominalized verbs in German are almost always neuter ('das'). Think of the process or action itself as a neutral concept: das Tun (the doing), das Laufen (the running), das Sprechen (the speaking)... and also das Reißen (the tearing).
For the meaning: Imagine someone rising (sounds a bit like Reißen) too quickly and feeling a sharp, tearing pain – that's das Reißen. Or picture the sound and action of *tearing* paper – that action* is das Reißen.
↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- To the act of tearing: das Flicken (the mending/patching), das Kleben (the gluing), das Nähen (the sewing), das Verbinden (the connecting/joining)
- To the pain sensation: die Linderung (the relief), die Heilung (the healing), das Wohlbefinden (the well-being)
⚠️ Similar but confusing words:
- die Reise: Means 'journey' or 'trip' – sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.
- reißen (verb): The verb from which das Reißen is derived. Means 'to tear', 'to pull', 'to snatch'.
😂 A little joke
Warum hat das Toilettenpapier die Beförderung nicht bekommen?
Weil es bei jeder Zerreißprobe durchgefallen ist!
Translation: Why didn't the toilet paper get the promotion?
Because it failed every tear test! (Pun: 'Zerreißprobe' means 'severe test' or literally 'tearing test', and 'durchfallen' means 'to fail' or literally 'to fall through'.)
✍️ A little poem
Ein plötzliches Reißen, ein kurzer Schreck,
Im Muskel, im Stoff, an diesem Fleck.
Ob Papier zerrinnt, ob Glieder schmerzen,
Das Reißen spürst du tief im Herzen.
Ein Laut, ein Gefühl, so scharf und klar,
Das Reißen ist plötzlich da.
Translation:
A sudden tearing, a brief fright,
In muscle, in fabric, at this site.
Whether paper dissolves, or limbs ache,
The tearing you feel deep in the heart's make.
A sound, a feeling, so sharp and clear,
The tearing is suddenly here.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin ein Vorgang, oft geschwind,
passiere Stoff und Haut, mein Kind.
Ich kann ein Schmerz sein, tief und spitz,
oder ein Geräusch, wie ein jäher Blitz.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I am a process, often swift,
Happening to fabric and skin, my gift (lit. 'my child').
I can be a pain, deep and sharp,
Or a sound, like a sudden spark (lit. 'sudden lightning flash').
What am I?
Solution: das Reißen (the tearing / the sharp pain)
🌐 Other Information
Wortbildung (Word Formation): Das Reißen is a nominalization (Substantivierung) of the strong verb reißen.
Base verb "reißen": The verb itself has several meanings ('to tear', 'to pull', 'to snatch') and is conjugated irregularly (it's a strong verb):
- Present: ich reiße, du reißt, er/sie/es reißt
- Past (Preterite): ich riss
- Perfect: ich habe/bin gerissen
Related terms:
- Der Riss: The result of tearing (e.g., ein Riss im Papier - 'a tear in the paper').
- Zerreißprobe: A crucial test, an acid test (often used metaphorically).
- Hinreißend: Gorgeous, ravishing, captivating (the meaning has evolved significantly from the root verb 'reißen').
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Reißen?
The noun 'Reißen' is always neuter: das Reißen. It refers to the act of tearing or a sharp, tearing pain.