der
Tathergang
📖 What exactly is a Tathergang?
Der Tathergang refers to the sequence or course of events, especially of a crime (Straftat) or another significant incident. It's about how something happened step-by-step, from beginning to end.
The word is often used in legal (juristisch) or police (polizeilich) contexts to describe and reconstruct the precise sequence of events during a crime. However, it can also be used for the course of other important processes, such as an accident (Unfall) or a historical event (historisches Ereignis).
There is only one article for Tathergang: der (masculine).
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ang → almost always masculine.
🧐 Grammar: Der Tathergang in Detail
The noun "Tathergang" is masculine. It is mostly used in the singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Tathergang |
| Genitive | des | Tathergang(e)s |
| Dative | dem | Tathergang(e) |
| Accusative | den | Tathergang |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tathergänge |
| Genitive | der | Tathergänge |
| Dative | den | Tathergängen |
| Accusative | die | Tathergänge |
Note: The plural "Tathergänge" is uncommon but possible when referring to the sequences of multiple different acts or incidents.
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Polizei rekonstruierte den Tathergang anhand der Zeugenaussagen.
(The police reconstructed the course of events based on witness statements.) - Der genaue Tathergang des Unfalls ist noch unklar.
(The exact course of events of the accident is still unclear.) - In der Gerichtsverhandlung wurde der Tathergang detailliert geschildert.
(The course of events was described in detail during the court hearing.) - Historiker versuchen, den Tathergang der Schlacht zu verstehen.
(Historians try to understand the course of events of the battle.)
💡 How to use "Tathergang"?
"Der Tathergang" is a specific word primarily used in formal contexts:
- Legal/Police: This is the most common area of use. It concerns the precise description of the course of a crime for investigations, indictments, and court proceedings. (e.g., den Tathergang ermitteln - to investigate the course of events, den Tathergang schildern - to describe the course of events)
- Journalistic: When reporting on crimes, accidents, or other incidents. (e.g., Der Tathergang wirft Fragen auf. - The course of events raises questions.)
- Historical: To describe the sequence of events in historical occurrences. (e.g., der Tathergang der Revolution - the course of events of the revolution)
In everyday language, you would more likely use general terms like "Ablauf" (sequence), "Geschehen" (occurrence), or "Verlauf" (course) if not referring to a crime or similarly serious event.
⚠️ Avoid Confusion: "Der Tathergang" is not the same as "der Tatbestand" (the legal definition or elements of a crime) or "das Motiv" (the motive for the act).
🧠 Mnemonics to Remember
Article Mnemonic: Think of der Gang (the corridor, the process, the way things go). A Tat (deed/crime) has a certain 'Gang' or course -> der Tathergang.
Meaning Mnemonic: A Tat (deed/act) has a Hergang (how it came about, how it proceeded - think 'how it got here'). Break down the word: Tat + Hergang = the course of the deed.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Der Ablauf: General term for a sequence of events.
- Der Hergang: Very similar, often interchangeable, emphasizes the process of happening.
- Der Geschehensablauf: A bit more cumbersome, but clear meaning (sequence of events).
- Die Ereignisse (plural): Refers to the individual events, not necessarily the entire flow.
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
Direct antonyms are difficult. One might think of concepts like:
- Der Stillstand: Standstill, no action or sequence.
- Die Planungsphase: The planning phase, what precedes the Tathergang.
- Die Folgen / Konsequenzen: The consequences, what comes after the Tathergang.
Similar Terms (Caution!):
- Der Tatbestand: The legal definition/elements of a crime.
- Das Motiv: The motive behind an act.
- Die Tat: The act/deed itself.
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Können Sie den Tathergang bitte noch einmal schildern, aber diesmal ohne die Action-Musik im Hintergrund?"
(The judge asks the defendant: "Could you please describe the course of events again, but this time without the action music in the background?")
📜 Poem about the Word
Der Tathergang
Ein Schatten huscht, ein Schrei verrinnt,
(A shadow flits, a cry fades away,)
Die Frage bleibt, wie es beginnt.
(The question remains, how it begins.)
Der Kommissar sucht Spur um Spur,
(The inspector seeks clue after clue,)
Im Labyrinth der Zeitenuhr.
(In the labyrinth of the clock.)
Stein auf Stein, Moment für Moment,
(Stone by stone, moment by moment,)
Bis man den klaren Ablauf kennt.
(Until one knows the clear sequence.)
Der Tathergang, kühl und exakt,
(The course of events, cool and exact,)
Wird aus dem Dunkel nun gepackt.
(Is now pulled from the darkness.)
🕵️ Riddle Time
Ich bin der Faden eines Geschehens,
(I am the thread of an event,)
oft düster, manchmal ungesehen.
(often dark, sometimes unseen.)
Die Polizei sucht mich genau,
(The police search for me precisely,)
bei Diebstahl, Unfall oder Stau.
(in theft, accident, or traffic jam.)
Ich zeige, wie die Dinge liefen,
(I show how things went,)
die tief in Akten einst schliefen.
(that once slept deep in files.)
Was bin ich? / What am I?
Lösung / Solution: der Tathergang
🧩 Word Building Blocks: Der Tathergang
The word "Tathergang" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:
- Die Tat: An action, an act, often in the sense of a crime.
- Der Hergang: The course, the sequence of events, how something happens or happened.
The combination precisely describes the "course of the act/deed". The article "der" is determined by the second part of the compound ("der Hergang").
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tathergang?
The noun "Tathergang" is masculine. The correct article is always der: der Tathergang.