der
Verdacht
🤔 What Exactly Does 'der Verdacht' Mean?
Der Verdacht (noun, masculine) describes a suspicion or mistrust that someone has done something wrong or negative, or that an undesirable situation has occurred or might occur. It's often an assumption that isn't yet backed by proof (Beweise).
A Verdacht can be vague or based on concrete clues (Verdachtsmomente - grounds for suspicion).
- Meaning 1: Suspicion of guilt or a negative fact (e.g., Der Verdacht des Diebstahls fiel auf ihn. - The suspicion of theft fell on him.)
- Meaning 2: A hunch or apprehension (e.g., Ich habe den Verdacht, dass der Zug Verspätung hat. - I have a suspicion that the train is delayed.)
⚠️ Attention: A Verdacht is not a certainty (Gewissheit)!
🧐 Grammar of Verdacht in Detail
The noun 'Verdacht' is masculine. The article is der.
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | der | Verdacht |
| Genitive (Possessive) | des | Verdacht(e)s |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem | Verdacht(e) |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | den | Verdacht |
Plural Declension
The plural form 'die Verdachte' is very rare. More commonly, the plural is paraphrased, or the term 'die Verdachtsmomente' (grounds for suspicion) is used.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Verdachte |
| Genitive | der | Verdachte |
| Dative | den | Verdachten |
| Accusative | die | Verdachte |
Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)
- Der Verdacht gegen den Nachbarn erwies sich als unbegründet. (The suspicion against the neighbor turned out to be unfounded.)
- Sie äußerte ihren Verdacht sehr vorsichtig. (She expressed her suspicion very carefully.)
- Aufgrund des dringenden Verdachts wurde ein Haftbefehl erlassen. (An arrest warrant was issued based on strong suspicion.)
- Ich hege den Verdacht, dass hier etwas nicht stimmt. (I harbor the suspicion that something isn't right here.)
💬 How to Use 'Verdacht'? Typical Cases
'Verdacht' is often used in contexts related to uncertainty, mistrust, crime, or negative assumptions.
Typical Phrases (Typische Wendungen):
- unter Verdacht stehen: To be under suspicion (Er stand unter Verdacht, die Informationen weitergegeben zu haben. - He was suspected of having passed on the information.)
- Verdacht schöpfen/hegen: To become suspicious / to harbor suspicion (Als er die zerbrochene Vase sah, schöpfte er Verdacht. - When he saw the broken vase, he became suspicious.)
- jmdn. in Verdacht haben: To suspect someone (Die Polizei hatte ihn schon länger in Verdacht. - The police had suspected him for a while.)
- ein Verdacht erhärtet sich: A suspicion grows stronger / is substantiated.
- ein Verdacht bestätigt sich: A suspicion is confirmed.
- ein Verdacht zerschlägt sich: A suspicion proves to be false.
- auf Verdacht: On suspicion / based on a hunch (Er kaufte das Medikament auf Verdacht. - He bought the medicine on suspicion (without being sure he needed it).)
- dringender Verdacht: Strong suspicion (often in a legal context, sufficient grounds for action).
- begründeter Verdacht: Well-founded / reasonable suspicion.
Distinction from other words:
Der Verdacht is stronger and more negative than a neutral Vermutung (assumption, guess) or Annahme (assumption). It often implies wrongdoing or something undesirable. Der Argwohn is very similar to Verdacht but emphasizes deep-seated mistrust even more.
💡 Mnemonics for 'der Verdacht'
Article Mnemonic: Think of a male detective: DER Kommissar (the male police commissioner) always has a Verdacht. Masculine figure helps remember the masculine article 'der'.
Meaning Mnemonic: 'Verdacht' sounds a bit like 'very dark thought'. Suspicion is often a dark or negative thought about someone or something, before you have proof.
🔄 Similar and Opposite: Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Misstrauen (das): Mistrust - General feeling of not trusting someone or something.
- Argwohn (der): Suspicion, deep mistrust - Strong, often unfounded mistrust.
- Vermutung (die): Assumption, guess - An assumption without proof, often more neutral than Verdacht.
- Mutmaßung (die): Conjecture, surmise - Similar to Vermutung, an assumption based on clues.
- Annahme (die): Assumption - Considering something likely.
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- Vertrauen (das): Trust, confidence - Firm belief in the reliability or honesty of a person/thing.
- Gewissheit (die): Certainty - State of being sure, having no doubts.
- Sicherheit (die): Certainty, security - Feeling of being safe; also: state of no doubt.
- Beweis (der): Proof, evidence - Fact or circumstance proving a claim.
- Unschuldsvermutung (die): Presumption of innocence - Legal principle that someone is considered innocent until proven guilty (opposite of acting solely on suspicion).
Similar-sounding, but misleading words:
- Verdikt (das): Verdict - Judgement, ruling by a judge. Sounds similar but has a different meaning.
- Verzicht (der): Waiver, renunciation - Voluntarily giving something up.
😄 A Little Joke
Deutsch: Warum nehmen Skelette nie an Partys teil?
Sie haben niemanden zum Hingehen und immer den Verdacht, dass etwas faul ist!
English: Why do skeletons never attend parties?
They have no body to go with and always have the suspicion that something is rotten! 🦴
✒️ Suspicion in Verse
Deutsch:
Ein leiser Zweifel, kühl und schwer,
schleicht sich ins Herz, kommt von weit her.
Ist's Wahrheit oder falscher Schein?
Der Verdacht lässt dich nie allein.
Er nagt und bohrt, lässt keine Ruh,
flüstert dir leise Fragen zu.
Ein Schatten nur, doch voller Macht,
hat schon so manchen Fall gebracht.
English Translation:
A silent doubt, both cool and grave,
Creeps in the heart, from afar it wave.
Is it the truth or false display?
Suspicion never goes away.
It gnaws and drills, allows no rest,
Whispers quiet questions, puts to test.
A shadow mere, yet full of might,
Has brought down many into night.
❓ Riddle Time
Deutsch:
Ich bin ein Gefühl, oft unbequem,
lass dich an Wahrheit zweifeln, jäh und extrem.
Ich brauche keinen Beweis, um zu entstehen,
kann Freundschaften und Vertrauen verwehen.
Der Detektiv hegt mich gar gern,
der Richter hält mich lieber fern (bis Beweise kommen nah).
Was bin ich?
English:
I am a feeling, often tough,
Make you doubt truth, sudden and rough.
I need no proof to come alive,
Can make friendships and trust not survive.
The detective holds me rather dear,
The judge prefers to keep me clear (until the evidence is near).
What am I?
Solution/Lösung: Der Verdacht (Suspicion)
⚙️ Word Workshop and Trivia
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word 'Verdacht' is composed of the prefix ver- and a stem related to denken (to think) (compare past tense dachte, past participle gedacht). The prefix 'ver-' here can imply something negative or intense, similar to its use in 'verlieren' (to lose) or 'verurteilen' (to convict/sentence). So, a 'Verdacht' is conceptually an 'intense thought' in a specific, often negative direction, or perhaps a 'wrong thought' in the sense of 'not yet proven'.
Related Words (Verwandte Wörter):
- verdächtig (adjective): suspicious (ein verdächtiges Geräusch - a suspicious noise)
- verdächtigen (verb): to suspect someone (Er verdächtigte sie des Betrugs. - He suspected her of fraud.)
- Verdächtigung (die): the act of suspecting or the statement of a suspicion.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Verdacht?
The German word Verdacht is masculine: der Verdacht. The genitive case is des Verdachts or des Verdachtes. The plural form die Verdachte is very rare; more commonly, die Verdachtsmomente is used to mean 'grounds for suspicion'.