reißen

Reißen is a German verb meaning to tear, rip, or pull apart. It is used for physical tearing of objects such as fabric or paper, as well as for pulling something out of its position or breaking through obstacles. The term also appears in metaphorical or idiomatic contexts, such as tearing a contract up or tearing into a task or opponent.

Conjugation and forms: Reißen is a strong (irregular) verb with a vowel change in its past forms. In the present tense, the forms are: ich reiße, du reißt, er reißt, wir reißen, ihr reißt, sie reißen. The simple past is riss for all persons (ich riss, du rissest/du risst is archaic or regional, er riss, etc.). The past participle is gerissen, used with haben to form the perfect: ich habe gerissen, du hast gerissen, er hat gerissen. The verb also combines with prefixes to create new meanings, such as ausreißen (to pull out), einreißen (to tear into), durchreißen (to tear through), and überreißen (to overtear or snap).

Usage notes: Reißen generally implies a forceful act that alters the integrity of the object. In compounds, the prefix changes the nuance, for example ausreißen emphasizes removal from a base, while durchreißen suggests a rapid, complete tearing through something. The verb is common in both physical description and in figurative expressions.

Etymology and related terms: Reißen derives from Old High German rīsan and is related to other Germanic languages with similar meanings of tearing or pulling apart. Related forms include partially prefixed derivatives such as ausreißen and durchreißen.

See also: Zerreißen, Durchreißen, Ausreißen, prefixal verb formations.