Today's words · ⚖️ Law & crime
Law and order in 10 German words
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These words are in German news every day, yet textbooks barely mention them.
One morning all that was left of my bike was the lock. At the police station, words like ‘gestohlen’ and ‘Anzeige’ came at me so fast I was sweating. That evening the news was full of Gericht and Urteil too.
Today's ten words are about law and crime. With them, news headlines get much easier to follow — and if something ever happens, you can explain it. ⚖️
📋 The ten words at a glance
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
das Gesetz
[guh-ZETS]law(Pl. die Gesetze)
📌 Das ist gegen das Gesetz.
→ That's against the law.
💡 From setzen (to set) 📜 A law is a rule that's been set down.
Bonus Das ist gegen das Gesetz. = That's against the law.
das Gericht
[guh-RIKHT]court (of law); dish (meal)(Pl. die Gerichte)
📌 Das Gericht hat ihn freigesprochen.
→ The court acquitted him.
💡 From richten (to judge; to prepare food) 🍲⚖️ So a court and a dish are both Gericht!
⚠ On a menu, Gericht means a dish. Don't panic in the restaurant!
der Richter
[RIKH-ter]judge(Pl. die Richter (f: die Richterin))
📌 Der Richter hat das Urteil gesprochen.
→ The judge has pronounced the verdict.
💡 richten (to set right) + -er = the one who sets things right 🧑⚖️ recht (right) is inside.
Bonus A female judge is die Richterin · verdict = das Urteil
der Anwalt
[AN-vahlt]lawyer, attorney(Pl. die Anwälte (f: die Anwältin))
📌 Bei diesem Problem brauchst du einen Anwalt.
→ You need a lawyer for this problem.
💡 an + walten (to manage; cf. wield) = someone who handles your case 💼
⚠ Plural with umlaut: die Anwälte. The official title is der Rechtsanwalt.
das Verbrechen
[fair-BREKH-en]crime(Pl. die Verbrechen)
📌 Das ist ein schweres Verbrechen.
→ That's a serious crime.
💡 brechen (to break) is inside 🔨 breaking the law = crime.
Bonus a criminal = der Verbrecher
der Diebstahl
[DEEP-shtahl]theft(Pl. die Diebstähle)
📌 Die Zahl der Diebstähle in Zügen ist gestiegen.
→ The number of thefts on trains has risen.
💡 Dieb (thief) + stahl (stealing) = theft 🦹 A thief-plus-steal combo.
Bonus thief = der Dieb · burglary = der Einbruch
stehlen
[SHTAY-len]to steal(stiehlt – stahl – hat gestohlen)
📌 Mir wurde das Fahrrad gestohlen.
→ My bike was stolen.
💡 Same root as English steal 🚲 They even sound alike.
⚠ ‘My … was stolen’ uses the dative: Mir wurde das Fahrrad gestohlen.
das Gefängnis
[guh-FENG-nis]prison, jail(Pl. die Gefängnisse)
📌 Der Dieb muss zwei Jahre ins Gefängnis.
→ The thief has to go to prison for two years.
💡 Same root as fangen (to catch) 🔒 Where the caught end up. -nis, so das.
Bonus to go to prison = ins Gefängnis kommen
die Strafe
[SHTRAH-fuh]punishment; fine, penalty(Pl. die Strafen)
📌 Er musste eine Strafe zahlen.
→ He had to pay a fine.
💡 The Strafe from Strafzettel, the parking ticket 💸 Punishment or fine — both Strafe.
Bonus to pay a fine = eine Strafe zahlen
schuldig
[SHOOL-dikh]guilty; responsible; owing📌 Ich bin dir noch zehn Euro schuldig.
→ I still owe you ten euros.
💡 die Schuld (guilt, debt) + -ig = guilty, or owing 😳
Bonus Handy in shops too: Was bin ich Ihnen schuldig? = What do I owe you?
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Germany's constitution is called the ‘Grundgesetz’ (Basic Law). Its first sentence is famous: ‘Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar.’ (Human dignity shall be inviolable.) Most Germans know it by heart.
Bike theft is common in cities, so use a strong lock and lock the frame to something solid. If your bike is stolen, reporting it to the police (Anzeige erstatten) helps when you claim on insurance.
Many people in Germany also have legal expenses insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung). It's popular for peace of mind in disputes with neighbours or landlords. 📄
✅ Quick quiz
Q. Your bike has been stolen. What do you tell the police?
- ① Ich habe ein Fahrrad gestohlen.
- ② Mir wurde das Fahrrad gestohlen.
- ③ Ich bin schuldig.
Show the answer
② Mir wurde das Fahrrad gestohlen.
Mir wurde … gestohlen means ‘my … was stolen’ — the first option is a confession that you stole one!
Read one German news headline today and hunt for today's words. If you spot Gericht, decide: court or dish? ⚖️
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 👵 Birth rate & ageing