capture
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capture
The act of seizing and holding a person so that they lose their freedom and become a prisoner.
Die Polizei meldete die erfolgreiche Gefangennahme des flüchtigen Bankräubers.
The police reported the successful capture of the fugitive bank robber.
'Gefangennahme' (capture) is the nominalization of the separable verb 'gefangen nehmen' (to take prisoner / to capture). It describes the process in which someone is captured.
Die Gefangennahme des Spions war ein großer Erfolg für den Geheimdienst.
The capture of the spy was a major success for the intelligence service.
This word belongs to formal language and is used mainly in official reports, news, or historical texts. It describes an act that is relevant in a legal or military context.
Die Zeitung berichtete ausführlich über die Gefangennahme des Diktators.
The newspaper reported extensively on the capture of the dictator.
The person who is captured usually appears in the genitive directly after the noun or is connected with the preposition 'von' (of / by).
Die Gefangennahme des Anführers schwächte die gesamte Gruppe.
The capture of the leader weakened the entire group.
arrest
'die Festnahme' and 'die Gefangennahme' both describe someone losing their freedom and being held. 'Festnahme' is used especially with the police, authorities, and suspicion of a crime. 'Gefangennahme' sounds more general and often stronger; it fits more with war, escape, violence, or situations in which someone becomes a prisoner. The words can be confused because both mean the seizing of a person. In normal news reports about the police, however, 'Festnahme' is usually more precise.
In dem Bericht geht es um die Gefangennahme mehrerer Soldaten.
The report is about the capture of several soldiers.
Heute berichtet die Zeitung über die Festnahme eines jungen Mannes.
Today the newspaper is reporting on the arrest of a young man.