German word

reiben

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʁaɪ̯bən/

Meaning

  • verbrub

Example

Ich reibe mir die Augen.

I'm rubbing my eyes.

Illustration for reiben (rub)

More examples

Die Bemerkung reibt ihm Salz in die Wunde.

The remark rubs salt into his wound.

Core concept

A hand, tool, or surface moves back and forth against another surface, creating friction that can polish, irritate, or remove material.

Common phrases

  • Salz in die Wunde reiben

    rub salt into the wound

  • aneinander reiben

    rub against each other

Similar words

kratzen: Scraping with a nail or hard object that leaves scratches or marks on a surface.
polieren: Gentle rubbing with a soft cloth or material that gives a surface a shine.
massieren: Pressing and rubbing with the hands to loosen muscles or soothe the skin.

Definition in German

Eine Fläche mit einer anderen aneinander bewegen und dadurch Reibung oder Materialabtrag verursachen.

Word origin

German reiben continues the inherited Germanic verb found in Old High German rīban and Middle High German riben.

Usage tips

  • The verb is strong: its principal forms are reiben, rieb, hat gerieben.

Other meanings

  • grateverb
  • rub againstverb

Related words

  • Reibungfrictionnoun
  • Reibegraternoun
  • einreibenrub inverb

Word lists with this word