die Beleidigung
insult
A statement or action intended to injure or demean another person's honor or dignity.
EXAMPLE
Er empfand die unfaire Kritik als persönliche Beleidigung.
He took the unfair criticism as a personal insult.
die Beleidigung
insult
die Beleidigung, die Beleidigungen
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Meanings
die Beleidigung
insult
The legal offense of insulting someone; the act of insulting someone.
EXAMPLE
Wegen der Beleidigung des Polizisten musste er eine Geldstrafe zahlen.
Because of the insult to the police officer, he had to pay a fine.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Beleidigung, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Beleidigungen |
| genitive | der Beleidigung |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Beleidigung | die Beleidigungen |
| accusative | die Beleidigung | die Beleidigungen |
| dative | der Beleidigung | den Beleidigungen |
| genitive | der Beleidigung | der Beleidigungen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'die Beleidigung' (the insult) is derived from the verb 'beleidigen' (to insult). The ending '-ung' turns the verb into a feminine noun that describes the action or its result.
EXAMPLE
Er wollte dich mit seiner Aussage nicht beleidigen.
He didn't mean to insult you with his statement.
Typical collocations
Common adjectives are 'persönliche' (personal), 'schwere' (serious), or 'grobe Beleidigung' (gross insult). Typical verbs are 'etwas als Beleidigung auffassen' (to take something as an insult) or 'empfinden' (to perceive/feel).
EXAMPLE
Das war eine schwere Beleidigung für die ganze Familie.
That was a serious insult to the whole family.
Legal context
You can recognize the legal meaning from words such as 'Anzeige' (criminal complaint), 'Gericht' (court), or 'Strafe' (penalty). The preposition 'wegen' (because of/on account of) is often used to state the reason for a lawsuit or complaint.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine Anzeige wegen Beleidigung erstattet.
He filed a criminal complaint for insult.
Compare with
Beleidigung vs Verletzung
injury / violation
Verletzung and Beleidigung can both refer to a demeaning remark. Verletzung emphasizes the emotional effect on the person affected; Beleidigung refers to the remark or action intended to injure or demean that person's honor.
Beleidigung
Seine bewusst abwertende Bemerkung war eine Beleidigung.
His deliberately disparaging remark was an insult.
Verletzung
Seine abwertende Bemerkung verursachte bei ihr eine tiefe Verletzung.
His disparaging remark caused her deep emotional pain.
In real life
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