erschießen
to shoot dead
To kill someone by firing a gun.
EXAMPLE
Der Einbrecher wurde auf der Flucht von der Polizei erschossen.
The burglar was shot dead by the police while fleeing.
erschießen
to shoot dead
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
sich erschießen
to shoot oneself
To commit suicide by killing oneself with a gun.
EXAMPLE
Er drohte in seiner Verzweiflung damit, sich zu erschießen.
In his despair, he threatened to shoot himself.
Usage tips
Word structure: prefix 'er-'
The prefix 'er-' often indicates the final, often fatal result of an action. While 'schießen' only means 'to shoot', 'erschießen' always means 'to shoot dead'.
EXAMPLE
Der Jäger schoss auf den Hirsch, aber er traf ihn nicht.
The hunter shot at the deer, but he didn't hit it.
Inseparable verb
Verbs with the prefix 'er-' are inseparable. This means the prefix always stays attached to the verb in all sentence forms and tenses.
EXAMPLE
Man fand heraus, dass der Mann erschossen wurde.
It was discovered that the man had been shot dead.
Transitive vs. reflexive
The structure of the sentence shows who the victim is. 'Jemanden erschießen' (to shoot someone dead) is transitive and means to kill another person. 'Sich erschießen' (to shoot oneself) is reflexive and means to kill oneself.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei erschoss den Angreifer in Notwehr.
The police shot the attacker dead in self-defense.
Compare with
erschießen vs schießen
to shoot
Schießen refers to firing a shot and does not by itself mean that the person hit dies; the target usually follows it with auf. Erschießen, by contrast, means killing someone with a shot and is used directly with the person who is killed.
erschießen
Der Täter erschoss den Wachmann mit einem gezielten Schuss.
The perpetrator shot the security guard dead with a carefully aimed shot.
schießen
Der Täter schoss auf den Wachmann, doch dieser überlebte verletzt.
The perpetrator shot at the security guard, but he survived with injuries.
In real life
Loading video examples...