Gestreichelt

Gestreichelt is a German verb form meaning “stroked” or “caressed.” It is the past participle of gestreicheln, used with auxiliary haben to form the perfect tense and with werden in passive constructions. In English, it corresponds to phrases like “has stroked” or “was stroked.”

Etymology and form: gestreicheln comes from streicheln, the verb meaning to stroke or caress, with the usual German past-participle prefix ge- and the -t ending for regular verbs. As a regular verb, its past participle is gestreichelt, which is used in all perfect tenses and in the passive voice (Der Hund wurde gestreichelt).

Usage: The term is commonly used for animals, children, or objects that receive a gentle touch, as in Ich habe den Hund gestreichelt (I stroked the dog) or Der Hund wurde gestreichelt (The dog was stroked). It can be modified by adverbs to emphasize manner, for example sanft gestreichelt or vorsichtig gestreichelt. While most frequent in literal contexts, gestreicheln can also appear in figurative language to imply soothing or comforting actions, though such uses are less common and typically rely on context.

See also: Streicheln.