der  Attentäter

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/atɛnˈtɛːtɐ/

🎯 What exactly is an Attentäter?

An Attentäter is a male person who commits or attempts to commit an Attentat (assassination attempt, attack). An Attentat is typically a planned attack (often an assassination attempt) on a public figure for political, ideological, or religious motives. The word has a strong negative connotation.

It is a masculine noun; the article is der. The female form is die Attentäterin.

🚨 Important: The word describes a person who commits or plans a very serious crime.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Der Attentäter

The noun 'Attentäter' is a masculine noun (article 'der') and belongs to the weak N-declension (schwache N-Deklination). This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Attentäter wurde kurz nach der Tat gefasst.
   (The assassin/attacker was caught shortly after the act.)
2. Die Polizei sucht nach möglichen Komplizen des Attentäters.
   (The police are looking for possible accomplices of the assassin/attacker.)
3. Dem gefassten Attentäter wird der Prozess gemacht.
   (The captured assassin/attacker will be put on trial.)
4. Man zeigte Bilder des flüchtenden Attentäters im Fernsehen.
   (Pictures of the fleeing assassin/attacker were shown on TV.)
5. Die Motive der Attentäter blieben zunächst unklar.
   (The motives of the assassins/attackers initially remained unclear.)

🗣️ How to use 'Attentäter'?

The term 'Attentäter' is used almost exclusively in the context of serious, often politically motivated violent crimes, especially attacks on prominent individuals or symbolic targets.

• Context: News reports, historical accounts, criminal cases, political discussions.
• Connotation: Strongly negative, associated with violence, terrorism, extremism.
• Distinction from similar terms:
  • Mörder (murderer): A general term for someone who commits murder. An Attentäter is often a specific type of Mörder (politically motivated), but not every Mörder is an Attentäter.
  • Terrorist: Spreads fear and terror, often through attacks on civilians, to achieve political goals. An Attentäter can be a Terrorist, but the focus is more on the targeted attack on a person/target.
  • Angreifer (attacker): A much more general term for someone who attacks (physically or verbally).

⚠️ Avoid trivializing or overusing the term.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

For the article 'der': An Attentäter is a Täter ('perpetrator' - which is 'der Täter' in German). Think of a male perpetrator (der Mann) committing the act.

For the meaning: Think of the word Attentat (the attack/assassination attempt) + the ending -täter (like in 'Täter' - perpetrator, 'Übeltäter' - wrongdoer). So, an Attentäter is the Täter (perpetrator) of an Attentat (attack).

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar, but different terms:

• Amokläufer: (spree killer; kills people seemingly at random, often due to personal crisis)
• Saboteur: (carries out acts of sabotage - damaging materials/facilities, not necessarily attacks on people)

😂 A Little Joke (handle with care)

Warum hat der Attentäter immer einen Stift dabei?
Um seine Anschläge zu planen!

(Why does the assassin always carry a pen?
To plan his 'Anschläge'! - This is a pun. 'Anschlag' means 'attack' but also 'notice/poster/placard', which you might plan or write with a pen. Jokes about this topic are difficult.)

📜 Poem about the Word

Im Schatten lauert, kalt und stumm,
Der Attentäter, frag nicht, warum.
Ein Plan im Kopf, das Ziel im Blick,
Getrieben von Hass, fehlt ihm das Glück.
Sein Name flüstert durch die Nacht,
Ein Wort, das Furcht und Schrecken facht.

(In shadow lurks, cold and mute,
The assassin, don't ask why.
A plan in mind, the target in sight,
Driven by hate, lacking luck/happiness.
His name whispers through the night,
A word that fuels fear and terror.)

❓ Who am I? A Riddle

Ich plane im Verborgenen, mein Ziel ist oft bekannt.
Meine Tat ist meist politisch, selten aus der Hand.
Man fürchtet meinen Namen, meine Absicht ist fatal.
Ich bringe Unheil über Menschen, manchmal nur einmal.

Wer bin ich?

(I plan in secret, my target is often known.
My act is mostly political, seldom done impromptu.
My name is feared, my intention is fatal.
I bring disaster upon people, sometimes just once.

Who am I?) Solution: Der Attentäter (The assassin/attacker)

🌐 Further Insights

Word Composition:

The word 'Attentäter' is composed of:

• Attentat: The noun for the attack/assassination attempt, borrowed from the French 'attentat' (attack, assault), which in turn comes from the Latin 'attentare' (to attempt, to attack).
• -er: The suffix '-er' in German is often used to denote a person who performs a certain activity or has a certain characteristic (cf. Lehrer - teacher, Bäcker - baker, Sportler - athlete). Here, it designates the performer of the Attentat.

Historical Context:

The term became particularly prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries, as political assassinations of rulers and politicians became more frequent and media coverage increased.