01
die Beschuldigung
accusation
The accusation or claim that someone has committed a crime, a mistake, or a moral offense.
example
Er wies die Beschuldigung des Diebstahls entschieden zurück.
He firmly rejected the accusation of theft.
die Beschuldigung
accusation
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'die Beschuldigung' (the accusation) belongs to the verb 'jemanden beschuldigen' (to accuse someone). The base is the word 'die Schuld' (guilt/fault). A 'Beschuldigung' (accusation) is therefore the act of assigning blame to someone for something.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde fälschlicherweise beschuldigt, das Geld gestohlen zu haben.
He was falsely accused of having stolen the money.
Sentence structure and usage
The person being accused often appears with the preposition 'gegen' plus the accusative. The reason for the accusation is expressed with the genitive or a 'dass' clause.
EXAMPLE
Die Beschuldigung gegen den Manager war haltlos.
The accusation against the manager was baseless.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Beschuldigung' (accusation) are 'eine Beschuldigung erheben' (to make/bring an accusation; formal), 'eine Beschuldigung zurückweisen' (to reject an accusation), or 'sich gegen eine Beschuldigung verteidigen' (to defend oneself against an accusation).
EXAMPLE
Die Staatsanwaltschaft erhob schwere Beschuldigungen gegen den Angeklagten.
The public prosecutor brought serious accusations against the defendant.
Compare with
Beschuldigung vs Verdacht
suspicion
'Verdacht' and 'Beschuldigung' both have to do with possible misconduct or a possible crime. A 'Verdacht', however, is only a suspicion. You think someone may have done something, but you do not yet have certain proof. A 'Beschuldigung' is stronger: someone directly says or claims that a person did something. Learners may confuse the words because both occur before something has been clarified or investigated. What matters is: a 'Verdacht' can be silent or cautious; a 'Beschuldigung' is a stated accusation.
Beschuldigung
Die Beschuldigung gegen den Fahrer stellte sich später als falsch heraus.
The accusation against the driver later turned out to be false.
Verdacht
Gegen den Mitarbeiter besteht der Verdacht, dass er Geld aus der Kasse genommen hat.
The employee is suspected of having taken money from the cash register.
In real life
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