der  Mord

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/mɔʁt/

🩸 What exactly is 'der Mord'?

Der Mord (noun, masculine) refers to the intentional and unlawful killing of a human being that fulfills specific criteria, known as Mordmerkmale (murder characteristics). Examples include killing out of greed (Habgier), treacherously (Heimtücke), or cruelly (Grausamkeit). It is the most serious homicide offense in German criminal law.

Unlike Totschlag (manslaughter/voluntary homicide), which is also an intentional killing, Mord requires the presence of at least one of these special characteristics. ⚠️ Attention: The precise legal definition can vary slightly depending on the jurisdiction.

🧐 Grammar of 'der Mord' in Detail

The noun "Mord" is masculine. Here are the declension tables:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Mord erschütterte die ganze Stadt. (The murder shook the entire city.)
2. Der Täter wurde wegen Mordes angeklagt. (The perpetrator was charged with murder.)
3. Die Aufklärung des Mordes dauerte mehrere Jahre. (Solving the murder took several years.)
4. Die Polizei ermittelt in mehreren ungelösten Morden. (The police are investigating several unsolved murders.)

🗣️ Usage in Context

"Der Mord" is primarily used in legal and criminological contexts. It denotes a specific criminal offense with clearly defined characteristics.

• Distinction: It's important to distinguish "Mord" from "Totschlag" (manslaughter/voluntary homicide). Totschlag is intentional killing without the specific characteristics required for Mord.
• Everyday Language: In common parlance, "Mord" is sometimes used loosely for any killing, which is legally incorrect. It can also be used hyperbolically or metaphorically (e.g., "Das ist ja Mord und Totschlag hier!" - "It's total chaos here!", literally "It's murder and manslaughter here!").
• Compounds: The word is frequently found in compound nouns like Auftragsmord (contract killing), Massenmord (mass murder), Serienmord (serial murder), Selbstmord (suicide - although Suizid is often preferred today), Mordkommission (homicide division), Mordverdacht (suspicion of murder), Mordversuch (attempted murder).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Mord'

For the article: Think of "DER killer" or "DER detective" – many roles in crime stories are masculine in German, as is the act itself: DER Mord.

For the meaning: Imagine someone saying, "They brought MORE Death than expected - it was Mord!" (The sound is slightly similar).

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

Related Terms

• Der Mörder / Die Mörderin: (Murderer - male / female) Person who commits murder.
• Der Totschlag: (Manslaughter / Voluntary Homicide) Intentional killing without murder characteristics.
• Die Fahrlässige Tötung: (Negligent Homicide) Unintentional killing due to negligence.

😂 A (Dark) Joke

German: Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie den Mann mit einem Stuhl erschlagen?"
Antwortet der Angeklagte: "Der Tisch war mir zu schwer."

English Translation: The judge asks the defendant: "Why did you kill the man with a chair?"
The defendant replies: "The table was too heavy for me."

(Note: This joke uses humor in the context of a serious topic and is not intended to trivialize it.)

📜 Poem about Murder

German:
Ein Schatten fällt, ein Leben bricht,
Der Mord, ein Wort, das Schrecken spricht.
Verborgen oft, im Dunkeln tief,
Ein Unrecht, das die Seele rief.
Gesetze suchen, streng und klar,
Was wirklich hinter dieser Handlung war.
Ein finst'res Kapitel, schwer und kalt,
Im Buch des Lebens, alt und alt.

English Translation:
A shadow falls, a life does break,
Der Mord, a word that fear does speak.
Often hidden, in darkness deep,
A wrong that called the soul to weep.
Laws search, severe and clear,
What truly lay behind this act austere.
A somber chapter, heavy, cold,
In life's great book, stories old.

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich bin ein Verbrechen, schwer und kalt,
Bin mehr als Totschlag, wie man's nennt im Wald
der Paragraphen. Niedere Motive brauch ich, traun,
oder Heimtücke, um mein Werk zu bau'n.
Mein Artikel ist männlich, merk es dir gut,
Was bin ich, das kostet oft das höchste Gut?

English Translation:
I am a crime, severe and cold,
More than manslaughter, in the forest bold
of paragraphs. Base motives I need, indeed,
or treachery, to sow my wicked seed.
My article is masculine, note it well,
What am I, that often costs the highest good to sell?

Solution: der Mord (murder)

💡 Other Information

Word Composition

The word "Mord" is a base word but is often used to form new nouns:

• Mord + Merkmal = das Mordmerkmal: (Murder characteristic) Specific criteria legally qualifying a killing as murder.
• Mord + Versuch = der Mordversuch: (Attempted murder) The attempt to commit murder.
• Auftrag + Mord = der Auftragsmord: (Contract killing) A murder carried out for payment.
• Selbst + Mord = der Selbstmord: (Suicide) Killing oneself (often replaced by "Suizid" today to avoid criminal connotation).
• Massen + Mord = der Massenmord: (Mass murder) The killing of a large number of people.

Etymology

The word "Mord" has Germanic roots (compare Old High German "mord", Gothic "maurþr") and originally meant "killing" or "death" in general. The specific legal meaning distinguishing it from manslaughter developed later.