das  Attentat

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/atɛnˈtaːt/

🎯 What exactly is 'das Attentat'?

The German word das Attentat (noun, neuter) refers to a planned, often violent attack, typically directed against the life or physical integrity of one or more individuals, especially prominent public figures (e.g., politicians). It usually has a political, ideological, or criminal motivation.

It signifies a treacherous assault or an assassination attempt.

🚨 Important: An Attentat is more specific than a general attack (der Angriff) or assault (der Überfall). It implies planning, often a specific target person or group, and a particular motive.

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: das Attentat

The noun „Attentat“ is neuter. So, you always say das Attentat.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Das Attentat auf den Präsidenten schockierte die ganze Welt.
   (The assassination attempt on the president shocked the whole world.)
2. Die Polizei konnte mehrere geplante Attentate verhindern.
   (The police were able to prevent several planned attacks/plots.)
3. Die Geschichte ist voll von politischen Attentaten.
   (History is full of political assassinations/attacks.)
4. Er überlebte das Attentat nur knapp.
   (He barely survived the assassination attempt.)

🗣️ How to Use 'Attentat' Correctly

The term das Attentat is mainly used in the context of politics, crime, and history. It describes a very specific type of violent act.

• Typical Verbs: ein Attentat verüben (to perpetrate), planen (to plan), verhindern (to prevent), aufklären (to solve/clear up), überleben (to survive).
• Typical Prepositions: ein Attentat auf jemanden/etwas (an attack/attempt on someone/something).
• Context: News reports, historical accounts, political discussions, crime novels/films.
• Distinction from similar words:
  • Der Angriff (attack): More general, can also be military or verbal.
  • Der Überfall (assault, robbery): Often more spontaneous, usually with robbery as a motive.
  • Der Anschlag (attack, bombing): Very similar, often used synonymously, but can also refer to attacks on buildings or facilities (e.g., Bombenanschlag - bomb attack).

⚠️ Avoid using the term for everyday assaults or disputes, as it carries a strong connotation of planned, serious violence.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'das Attentat'

Mnemonic for the article 'das':

Think of das Event – an Attentat is a terrible, but specific type of event. And 'Ereignis' (event) is neuter (das) in German.

Mnemonic for the meaning:

'Attentat' sounds like an 'attempt at' a target. It's a malicious attempt on someone's life or well-being. Or think: An 'Attendant' might witness an 'Attentat'.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

⚠️ Similar but potentially misleading words:

• Die Attacke: Often more spontaneous and less planned than an Attentat. Can also be used in sports or figuratively.
• Die Intrige: Intrigue, plot – a secret plan to harm someone, but usually not through direct physical violence.

😄 A Little (Dry) Joke

Warum tragen Attentäter nie gestreifte Hemden?

... Sie wollen nicht hinter Gittern landen!

(Why do assassins never wear striped shirts? ... They don't want to end up behind bars!)

(Note: This is dark humor and not intended to downplay the seriousness of the topic.)

📜 A Poem for Thought

Ein Schatten huscht durch dunkle Nacht,
Ein Plan geschmiedet, still erdacht.
Ein Schuss, ein Schrei, die Welt hält an,
Das Attentat bricht seine Bahn.
Ein Leben endet, Hass entfacht,
Die Frage bleibt: Was ward vollbracht?

(A shadow flits through dark of night,
A plan conceived, kept out of sight.
A shot, a cry, the world stands still,
The assassination works its will.
A life concludes, hate takes its flight,
The question stays: What came of might?)

🕵️ Who am I? A Riddle

Ich bin geplant, oft im Versteck,
Mein Ziel ist meist ein hoher Zweck –
Doch nicht im Guten, nein, im Wahn,
Ich breche Leben, stürz' vom Plan.
Politik und Macht sind oft mein Feld,
Ein einzelner Schuss, der Welten fällt.

Was bin ich? (I am planned, often in hiding,
My goal is mostly overriding –
But not for good, no, in delusion,
I shatter lives, cause plan's confusion.
Politics and power are often my field,
A single shot makes worlds yield.)

What am I? Solution: das Attentat (the assassination attempt / political attack)

🌐 Other Interesting Facts

Word Origin (Etymology)

The word "Attentat" comes from the French attentat, which in turn derives from the Latin verb attentare. Attentare means “to try”, “to attempt”, but also “to attack” or “to touch upon”.

Trivia

• History knows numerous famous Attentate, such as those on Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, or John F. Kennedy, as well as the assassination in Sarajevo in 1914, which is considered the trigger for World War I.
• In German law, distinctions are often made between murder (Mord), attempted murder (versuchter Mord), and aggravated assault (gefährliche Körperverletzung). The motivation (e.g., political) is crucial for classifying an act as an "Attentat" in common parlance.