to murder
Loading your saved state.
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' and 'ermorden' both mean that someone’s life is taken. But 'töten' is more general: it can be used for people and animals, and it can also occur in contexts such as accidents, war, or self-defense. 'ermorden' is used only for people, and it means that the act is intentional and very serious. The word has a strong legal and moral tone. Learners may confuse the words because every murder is also a killing. But not every killing is a murder. If the intention or legal evaluation is not clear, 'töten' is more neutral.
Die Polizei sucht den Mann, der die Journalistin ermordet haben soll.
The police are looking for the man who is said to have murdered the journalist.
Bei dem Unfall wurde ein Fußgänger getötet.
A pedestrian was killed in the accident.