kratzen

Kratzen is a German verb with several related senses centered on the action of scraping or clawing. The primary meanings are physical: to scratch by means of claws or nails, leaving marks or causing a superficial skin irritation; to scrape lightly against a surface, producing a mark or a noise; and reflexively, to itch or irritate oneself by scratching. The verb can describe both animals and humans, as in a cat scratching at a door or a person scratching an itchy arm. In addition to these literal uses, kratzen is used metaphorically in phrases such as zusammenkratzen, meaning to scrape together money, energy, or resources.

Usage and grammar. Kratzen functions as a regular West Germanic verb and can be used transitively or intransitively. Common present-tense forms align with standard German weak-verb conjugation, and the perfect tense is formed with hat gekratzt (Ich habe mich gekratzt, er hat gekratzt). The noun forms related to the verb include das Kratzen for the act of scratching and der Kratzer for a scratch or scratch mark, such as a scuff on a surface or a skin scratch.

Common constructions and examples. Die Katze kratzt an der Tür. (The cat scratches at the door.) Ich kratze mich am Arm. (I scratch my arm.) Der Lack kratzt am Rahmen. (The paint scratches the frame.) Wir müssen das Geld zusammenkratzen. (We must scrape together the money.) Sich kratzen is also used to describe itching: Ich kratzte mich, weil ich einen Mückenstich hatte.

Etymology and related terms. Kratzen is of Germanic origin and has cognates in related West Germanic languages. Related terms include das Kratzen (the act of scratching) and der Kratzer (a scratch or scar).