arrest
Loading your saved state.
arrest
The act in which a person is taken into custody by the police or another authority, usually on suspicion of a crime.
Die Polizei gab die Festnahme eines Hauptverdächtigen im Fall des Banküberfalls bekannt.
The police announced the arrest of a main suspect in the bank robbery case.
'Die Festnahme' (the arrest) is a noun derived from the separable verb 'festnehmen' (to arrest). This verb literally means to 'take' someone 'fest' (in the sense of 'securely' or 'immovably').
Die Polizei konnte den Dieb auf frischer Tat festnehmen.
The police were able to arrest the thief in the act.
Common verbs used in connection with 'Festnahme' (arrest) are 'durchführen' (to carry out), 'anordnen' (to order), or 'bestätigen' (to confirm). If a person resists, they offer 'Widerstand bei der Festnahme' (resistance during arrest).
Die Staatsanwaltschaft hat die Festnahme des Verdächtigen angeordnet.
The public prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of the suspect.
A very common formulation is 'es kam zur Festnahme' (an arrest took place). This is often used in news reports or official accounts to describe the moment of apprehension.
Nach einer langen Verfolgungsjagd kam es schließlich zur Festnahme.
After a long chase, an arrest finally took place.
The word 'Festnahme' (arrest) belongs to the official language of the police, the justice system, and the media. It is a formal and precise term.
Im Polizeibericht wurde die genaue Uhrzeit der Festnahme vermerkt.
The exact time of the arrest was noted in the police report.
custody / imprisonment
'die Haft' and 'die Festnahme' both belong to the area of police and justice. 'Festnahme' means the moment or action in which the police take a person away. 'Haft' describes the state afterward: the person is being held or is in prison. Learners may confuse the words because an arrest can often be followed by custody or imprisonment. Memory aid: 'die Festnahme' is the beginning; 'die Haft' is the time spent being held.
Nach der Festnahme brachte die Polizei den Mann zur Wache.
After the arrest, the police took the man to the station.
Der Verdächtige bleibt bis zum Prozess in Haft.
The suspect remains in custody until the trial.