What does “Juckreiz” mean in German?
Warum unser Körper juckt und was dahintersteckt
B2 German listening practice · German · Picked for people who know more
This science explainer asks why we itch and names the feeling precisely: the Juckreiz. «Der durchschnittliche Mensch erlebt jeden Tag Dutzende Juckreize» (“the average person experiences dozens of itches a day”). It’s a classic German compound: jucken (“to itch”) plus Reiz (“stimulus, urge”), literally an “itch-stimulus,” tidier than English, which leans on one word for both.
The verb is just as handy: “es juckt mich” (“it itches me,” where the thing does the itching). Compounds like this are German’s superpower, snapping two plain words into one precise term. You’ll meet Reiz again in Reizüberflutung (sensory overload) and reizvoll (appealing). One small word, a whole grammar lesson.
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Harder words in this video
These words are harder than B2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸German science and knowledge channels like Kurzgesagt and Quarks.
- ▸In German pharmacies (Apotheke) describing allergy and bite relief.
- ▸German health explainers on Allergie and Histamin.
- ▸Everyday German for mosquito season: “Mückenstich” and the itch that follows.