die
Kriminalitätsrate
📊 What exactly does "Kriminalitätsrate" mean?
Die Kriminalitätsrate is a statistical measure indicating the frequency of registered criminal offenses within a specific population group (e.g., per 100,000 inhabitants) over a certain period. It serves as an indicator of the extent of crime in a region or country and is often used in social science studies, political discussions, and media reports.
There is only one meaning and one article for this word: die Kriminalitätsrate (feminine).
⚠️ Note: The Kriminalitätsrate only reflects police-recorded crime (Hellfeld or 'lit field'). The Dunkelfeld ('dark field', unreported or undiscovered offenses) is not included.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Kriminalitätsrate
The word "Kriminalitätsrate" is a feminine noun. The article is always "die".
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Kriminalitätsrate |
| Genitive | der | Kriminalitätsrate |
| Dative | der | Kriminalitätsrate |
| Accusative | die | Kriminalitätsrate |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Kriminalitätsraten |
| Genitive | der | Kriminalitätsraten |
| Dative | den | Kriminalitätsraten |
| Accusative | die | Kriminalitätsraten |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Kriminalitätsrate in der Stadt ist im letzten Jahr gesunken.
(The crime rate in the city decreased last year.) - Politiker diskutieren Maßnahmen zur Senkung der Kriminalitätsrate.
(Politicians are discussing measures to reduce the crime rate.) - Die Analyse der Kriminalitätsrate hilft bei der Präventionsarbeit.
(The analysis of the crime rate helps with prevention work.) - Vergleicht man die Kriminalitätsraten verschiedener Länder, zeigen sich deutliche Unterschiede.
(Comparing the crime rates of different countries reveals clear differences.)
💡 How to use "Kriminalitätsrate"?
"Kriminalitätsrate" is mainly used in formal contexts, especially when discussing statistics, sociology, politics, and news reporting.
- Comparison: Often, the Kriminalitätsrate of one city is compared to another, or its development over time is examined. ("Die Kriminalitätsrate in Berlin im Vergleich zu München." - The crime rate in Berlin compared to Munich.)
- Discussions about safety: The word is central to debates about public safety and policing. ("Eine hohe Kriminalitätsrate beunruhigt die Bürger." - A high crime rate worries the citizens.)
- Social research: Researchers use the Kriminalitätsrate to study social phenomena.
In everyday language, people might speak more generally of "Verbrechen" (crimes) or "Straftaten" (criminal offenses), but when referring to the statistical frequency, "Kriminalitätsrate" is the precise term.
🧠 Mnemonics for Kriminalitätsrate
-
Article Mnemonic: Think of "the rate". Many German words ending in "-rate" are feminine (e.g., die Geburtenrate - the birth rate, die Wachstumsrate - the growth rate). So, it's also die Kriminalitätsrate.
-
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a "rate" or scale measuring the level of "Kriminalität" (crime). ⚖️ The Kriminalitätsrate tells you the *rate* at which crime occurs.
🔄 Synonyms & Related Terms
Synonyms
- Verbrechensquote: (Crime ratio/quota) Very similar, often used interchangeably.
- Deliktsbelastung (pro Einwohner): (Offense burden per inhabitant) More technical term, emphasizes the burden.
- Häufigkeitszahl (von Straftaten): (Frequency number of offenses) Descriptive phrase.
Antonyms
There isn't a direct antonym. Instead, one talks about:
- Sicherheitsniveau (Security level)
- Niedrige Kriminalitätsrate (Low crime rate)
- Rückgang der Kriminalität (Decline in crime)
Related Terms (Caution!)
- Kriminalität: Refers to the phenomenon of crime in general, not the statistical rate.
- Straftat: A single criminal act or offense.
- Dunkelziffer: The number of unreported/unrecorded crimes (the opposite of the Hellfeld measured by the Kriminalitätsrate).
😄 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Statistiker ungern den Aufzug?
Weil sie Angst vor den hohen Fallzahlen haben!
(Why do statisticians dislike taking the elevator?
Because they're afraid of the high case numbers! - A pun on "Fallzahlen" which means case numbers, but "Fall" also means fall/drop.)
📜 A Short Poem
Die Zahl, die oft erschreckt,
Wenn Unrecht wird entdeckt.
Mal steigt sie, mal fällt sie tief,
Die Kriminalitätsrate, im Kollektiv.
Ein Maß für Sicherheit und Not,
Im steten Wandel, wie das Lebensboot.
(The number that often scares,
When injustice is discovered.
Sometimes it rises, sometimes it falls deep,
The crime rate, in the collective keep.
A measure of safety and need,
In constant change, like life's boat indeed.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin eine Zahl, doch sag nichts über Schuld,
Zeige nur an, mit wie viel Ungeduld
Das Gesetz gebrochen wird, in Stadt und Land,
Pro hunderttausend, wohlbekannt.
Die Polizei erfasst mich Jahr für Jahr.
Was bin ich?
(I am a number, but say nothing about guilt,
I only show with how much impatience
The law is broken, in city and country,
Per hundred thousand, well-known.
The police record me year after year.
What am I?)
Solution: die Kriminalitätsrate (the crime rate)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition
The word "Kriminalitätsrate" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Kriminalität (crime) - derived from "kriminell" (criminal)
- -s- (Fugen-s, a linking sound)
- Rate (rate, ratio) - a measure or quota
Trivia
Interpreting Kriminalitätsraten is complex. An increase doesn't necessarily mean more crime; it could also reflect a higher willingness of the population to report incidents (Anzeigebereitschaft) or changes in police recording practices.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Kriminalitätsrate?
The noun "Kriminalitätsrate" is always feminine. The correct article is die Kriminalitätsrate. It refers to a statistical measure of the frequency of criminal offenses.