die  Polizeistation

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/poliˈt͡saɪstaˈt͡si̯oːn/

👮‍♀️ What exactly is a Polizeistation?

Die Polizeistation is a building or part of a building that serves as a police office. Police officers work here, take reports, coordinate operations, and offer help and protection to citizens.

It's a place you can go if you have been the victim of a crime, want to report a crime, or need other police assistance. It serves as a central contact point for security matters in a community or district.

The word is a compound of Polizei (police) and Station (station). Since Station is feminine (die Station), die Polizeistation is also feminine.

🧐 Grammar under the Microscope: die Polizeistation

The noun „Polizeistation“ is feminine. The article is „die“. Here are the declension tables:

Example Sentences

• Die nächste Polizeistation ist nur zwei Straßen entfernt. (The nearest police station is only two streets away.)
• Er ging zur Polizeistation, um den Diebstahl zu melden. (He went to the police station to report the theft.)
• Auf der Polizeistation wurden seine Fingerabdrücke genommen. (His fingerprints were taken at the police station.)
• In unserer Stadt gibt es mehrere Polizeistationen. (There are several police stations in our city.)

🗣️ When to use 'die Polizeistation'?

The term Polizeistation is used in everyday language to refer to the building housing the local police force.

• Reporting incidents: „Ich muss zur Polizeistation, um Anzeige zu erstatten.“ (I need to go to the police station to file a report.)
• Location reference: „Das Fundbüro befindet sich in der Polizeistation.“ (The lost and found office is located in the police station.)
• General description: „Vor der Polizeistation stehen oft Streifenwagen.“ (Patrol cars are often parked in front of the police station.)

Alternative terms like Polizeiwache or Polizeirevier are often synonymous, although Revier can sometimes imply a larger area of jurisdiction. Wache is often slightly more informal.

🧠 Memory Hooks for Clarity

Article Mnemonic: Words ending in "-ion" in German are almost always feminine (die Nation, die Station). Remember: The Station for the police is die Polizeistation.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine people arriving at a Station (like a train station), but here they come to the Polizei (police). It's the go-to station for police matters.

🔄 Related Terms: Synonyms & Co.

⚠️ Attention: Although similar, the terms might have slightly different connotations depending on the region or specific context.

😂 A Little Joke on the Side

Richter: "Wo waren Sie zur Tatzeit?"
Angeklagter: "Auf der Polizeistation, Herr Richter."
Richter: "Und was haben Sie dort gemacht?"
Angeklagter: "Ein Verbrechen geplant!"

Translation:
Judge: "Where were you at the time of the crime?"
Defendant: "At the police station, Your Honor."
Judge: "And what were you doing there?"
Defendant: "Planning a crime!"

📜 Poetry in Uniform?

Blaues Licht dreht in der Nacht,
die Polizeistation hält Wacht.
Ob Diebstahl, Streit oder Verlust,
hier findest du Hilfe, das ist bewusst.
Ein Haus für Recht und Ordnung klar,
steht für die Bürger immer da.

Translation:
Blue light turns in the night,
the police station keeps watch bright.
Whether theft, dispute, or loss confessed,
here you'll find help, put to the test.
A house for law and order clear,
always stands for the citizens here.

❓ Who am I? A Riddle

Ich habe Zellen, doch bin kein Körper.
Ich habe Beamte, doch bin kein Amt im reinen Sinne.
Man kommt zu mir, wenn man Hilfe braucht oder Unrecht geschah.
Manchmal trägt man hier Uniform in Blau oder Grün.

Wer bin ich?

Translation:
I have cells, but I am not a body.
I have officers (Beamte), but I am not purely an office.
People come to me when they need help or wrong has been done.
Sometimes people wear blue or green uniforms here.

Who am I?

Solution: Die Polizeistation (The Police Station)

💡 Interesting Facts about the Station

Word Composition: The word "Polizeistation" is a compound noun. It is composed of:

• Polizei: Refers to the institution of the police, responsible for public safety and order.
• Station: Here means a fixed local office or stopping point.

Together, they mean a fixed office of the police.

International Equivalents: In other countries, similar institutions are called, for example, Police Station (English), Commissariat de police (French), Comisaría de policía (Spanish).