die
Bestechung
💡 What does "die Bestechung" mean?
Die Bestechung (noun, feminine) means bribery. It refers to the act of offering, promising, or giving an advantage (often money or gifts) to a person (typically an official or employee) to induce them to perform an act contrary to their duty or to omit an action.
Essentially, it's about influencing a decision or action through illicit means. It's a form of Korruption (corruption) and is a criminal offense in Germany and many other countries.
🚨 Warning: Bestechung is a serious offense with legal consequences!
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Declension of Bestechung
"Bestechung" is a feminine noun. Feminine nouns take the article "die" in the nominative singular. Nouns ending in "-ung" are almost always feminine in German.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bestechung |
| Genitive | der | Bestechung |
| Dative | der | Bestechung |
| Accusative | die | Bestechung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bestechungen |
| Genitive | der | Bestechungen |
| Dative | den | Bestechungen |
| Accusative | die | Bestechungen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Dem Beamten wurde Bestechung vorgeworfen.
The official was accused of bribery. - Die Firma wurde wegen versuchter Bestechung angeklagt.
The company was charged with attempted bribery. - Es gab mehrere Fälle von Bestechungen im Ministerium.
There were several cases of bribery in the ministry.
🗣️ How is "Bestechung" used? Context Matters!
"Bestechung" is mainly used in legal, political, and business contexts. It always describes an illegal or at least unethical act.
- Typical Verbs: Bestechung anbieten (to offer a bribe), annehmen (to accept), versuchen (to attempt), nachweisen (to prove), vorwerfen (to accuse of).
- Context: Often found in news reports about corruption scandals, court proceedings, or ethical debates.
- Differentiation: While "Bestechung" often describes the specific act, Korruption (corruption) is a broader term that includes other forms of misconduct (e.g., nepotism). Schmiergeld (slush money, grease money) usually refers to the money or advantage itself used in the bribe.
🧠 Mnemonics for Article and Meaning
Article Mnemonic: Nouns ending in "-ung" in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of other "-ung" words you might know: die Rechnung (the bill), die Meinung (the opinion), die Wohnung (the apartment) – and so, "die Bestechung".
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone trying to give you the BEST things (money, gifts) to make you pass them on an exam or give them a contract. They are trying to 'sting' (stechen sounds like 'stech') you into doing something wrong with the BEST stuff. That's Best-ech-ung -> bribery.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for die Bestechung
👍 Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Korruption: Corruption (broader term, includes bribery).
- Schmiergeldzahlung: Payment of bribe money / grease money (refers specifically to the payment).
- Vorteilsgewährung / -annahme: Granting / acceptance of advantages (legal term, often used for officials, can be a preliminary stage or lesser form of bribery).
👎 Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
- Integrität: Integrity.
- Ehrlichkeit: Honesty.
- Rechtschaffenheit / Gesetzestreue: Righteousness / lawfulness.
- Transparenz: Transparency (often acts as a preventative measure against bribery).
⚠️ Be careful: A "Geschenk" (gift) or an "Aufmerksamkeit" (small token/attention) can be interpreted as an attempted bribe in certain contexts, especially if it implies a return favor or creates the appearance of influence.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Richter keine Bestechungsgelder unter dem Tisch an?
Weil sie Angst haben, dass die Gerechtigkeit stolpert! 😉
(Why don't judges accept bribes under the table?
Because they're afraid justice might stumble!)
📜 A Poem about Bribery
Ein Umschlag, dick und schwer,
wechselt den Besitzer sehr,
verdeckt, im Schummerlicht,
verbiegt Gesetz und Pflicht.
Ein Flüstern, ein Versprechen,
lässt Ehrlichkeit zerbrechen.
Die Gier, sie raunt ganz leis:
"Nimm an, das ist der Preis!"
Doch Vorsicht, dunkler Tausch,
im schnellen Siegesrausch.
Die Bestechung, giftig, kalt,
bringt selten guten Halt.
An envelope, thick and heavy,
changes owners quickly,
hidden, in the dim light,
bends law and duty outright.
A whisper, a promise made,
makes honesty fade.
Greed murmurs soft and low:
"Accept it, let it go!"
But beware, dark exchange,
in victory's quick range.
Bribery, toxic and cold,
rarely offers a stronghold.
🧩 A Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Angebot, oft krumm und schief,
mache manchen reich, doch stürze ihn auch tief.
Ich fließe heimlich, unter Tisch und Hand,
verändere Urteile im ganzen Land.
Gesetze fürchte ich, Moral ist mir egal,
mein Name klingt nach Stich und Qual.
Was bin ich? Lösung: Die Bestechung
I am an offer, often crooked and wrong,
make some rich, but cast them down ere long.
I flow secretly, under table and hand,
changing judgments throughout the land.
I fear laws, morality means naught to me,
my name sounds like a sting and agony.
What am I? Solution: Bribery (Die Bestechung)
✨ Other Information
Word Formation: The word "Bestechung" is derived from the verb bestechen (to bribe) and the suffix -ung, which denotes an action or process.
Legal Aspects: Bestechung (bribery) and Bestechlichkeit (corruptibility, accepting bribes) are criminal offenses in Germany (regulated in sections like §§ 331 ff. StGB for public officials, §§ 299 ff. StGB in commercial practice). Penalties can range from fines to imprisonment.
International Context: Many international agreements (e.g., the UN Convention against Corruption) aim to combat bribery worldwide.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bestechung?
The word 'Bestechung' is a feminine noun. The correct article in the nominative singular is die: die Bestechung. This follows the typical pattern for German nouns ending in '-ung'.
