cop / bull
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cop
A colloquial and often derogatory term for a police officer.
Kaum hatten sie die Musik lauter gedreht, standen auch schon die Bullen vor der Tür.
No sooner had they turned up the music than the cops were already at the door.
The word 'Bulle' (cop) for a police officer is colloquial and is often perceived as derogatory or disrespectful. In formal situations or when speaking with the police themselves, you should definitely avoid it.
Pass auf, da vorne stehen die Bullen und kontrollieren.
Watch out, the cops are up ahead doing checks.
The plural form 'die Bullen' (the cops) is very common and almost always refers to the police as a group. It is used more often than the singular form.
Wegen des Lärms haben die Nachbarn die Bullen gerufen.
Because of the noise, the neighbors called the cops.
In the financial world, 'der Bulle' (bull) is a technical term. It symbolizes an optimistic investor or a market phase with rising stock prices. You can recognize this meaning from the context of the stock market, shares, or finance.
An der Wall Street dominieren zurzeit die Bullen.
The bulls are currently dominating on Wall Street.
The word 'Bulle' (bull) is also used to refer to the males of other large animal species. It is then used as the second part of a compound noun, for example 'der Elefantenbulle' (bull elephant) or 'der Walbulle' (bull whale).
Im Zoo kann man einen beeindruckenden See-Elefantenbullen sehen.
At the zoo you can see an impressive male elephant seal.
police officer
'der Polizist' and 'der Bulle' can both mean a person in the police. The important difference is the tone. 'Polizist' is the normal and neutral word. 'Bulle' is colloquial and often derogatory or disrespectful. Learners may confuse the words because both are used in conversations or films for the same person. In polite, official, or neutral situations, you should say 'Polizist'. 'Bulle' only fits very informal language at most and can quickly sound unfriendly.
Im Film ruft der Dieb: „Die Bullen kommen!“
In the film, the thief shouts, “The cops are coming!”
Nach dem Unfall spricht der Polizist zuerst mit den Zeugen.
After the accident, the police officer speaks with the witnesses first.