reißen
Translation
to tear, to rip, to snatch, to break
Examples
Er reißt das Papier in Stücke.
He tears the paper to pieces.
Die Kette ist plötzlich gerissen.
The chain suddenly broke.
Sie riss ihm den Brief aus der Hand.
She snatched the letter from his hand.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to tear sth. He is tearing the paper.
(intransitive) to break, to snap The rope tore.
((sth.)) ((from sb.)) to snatch sth. from sb. He tore the bag from her hand.
Similar Words
Synonyms: to pull, to drag; Antonyms: to mend, to fix
Etymology
From Old High German 'rīzan' (to tear, scratch). Related to English 'write' (originally meaning to scratch runes).
Memory Tips
Sounds like 'rising'. Imagine the tension rising on a rope until it tears.