to murder
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to murder
To intentionally kill a person under specific circumstances defined by law, such as greed or treachery. The term has a strong legal and moral connotation.
Der Angeklagte wurde schuldig gesprochen, den Geschäftsmann ermordet zu haben.
The defendant was found guilty of having murdered the businessman.
'Ermorden' (to murder) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' always remains attached to the stem 'morden' (to murder) and is not separated at the end of the sentence.
Die Polizei untersucht, wer die Frau ermordet hat.
The police are investigating who murdered the woman.
'Ermorden' (to murder) is a very strong word with a specific legal meaning. It is not used for every killing, but only for the crime 'Mord' (murder) with specific legal characteristics.
Im Krimi versucht der Kommissar herauszufinden, wer das Opfer ermordet hat.
In the crime novel, the detective tries to find out who murdered the victim.
'Ermorden' (to murder) is very often used in the passive to focus on the victim of the act. The form is then 'wird/wurde ermordet' (is/was murdered).
Der König wurde in der Nacht ermordet.
The king was murdered during the night.
to kill
“Töten” generally means taking a person’s or animal’s life. “Ermorden,” on the other hand, refers to the intentional killing of a person under specific legal circumstances and carries a strong moral charge. Without this special classification, “töten” is the more neutral choice.
Der Mann ermordete einen Menschen heimtückisch aus Habgier.
The man murdered a person out of greed and in a treacherous manner.
Der Mann tötete einen Menschen, doch die genauen Umstände waren noch unklar.
The man killed a person, but the exact circumstances were still unclear.
