hostage-taking
Loading your saved state.
hostage-taking
The holding of one or more people (hostages) against their will in order to extort the fulfillment of certain demands.
Die Geiselnahme in der Bank dauerte mehrere Stunden und endete unblutig.
The hostage-taking in the bank lasted several hours and ended without bloodshed.
The word is made up of 'Geisel' (hostage) and 'Nahme' (an old form for taking, from 'nehmen' — to take). So it literally describes the act of taking hostages.
Die Nachrichtensender berichteten live über die Geiselnahme.
The news channels reported live on the hostage-taking.
'Die Geiselnahme' (hostage-taking) is the act. The people involved are 'die Geisel' (the hostage, the victim being held) and 'der Geiselnehmer' (the hostage-taker, the perpetrator who takes the hostage).
Der Geiselnehmer verhandelte mit der Polizei.
The hostage-taker negotiated with the police.
Common verbs in connection with 'Geiselnahme' (hostage-taking) are 'beenden' (to end), 'verhindern' (to prevent), or 'beginnen' (to begin). The location is also often named with the preposition 'in' (in).
Spezialeinheiten der Polizei konnten die Geiselnahme unblutig beenden.
Police special units were able to end the hostage-taking without bloodshed.
kidnapping / hijacking
Entführung and Geiselnahme can both involve holding a person by force. Entführung primarily emphasizes taking the person to another place, while Geiselnahme emphasizes holding the person as leverage to make specific demands. Choose the word according to which aspect of the event is being emphasized.
Die Polizei untersucht die Geiselnahme des Mannes, der als Druckmittel festgehalten wurde.
The police are investigating the hostage-taking of the man, who was held as leverage.
Die Polizei untersucht die Entführung des Mannes, der gewaltsam in ein anderes Haus gebracht wurde.
The police are investigating the kidnapping of the man, who was forcibly taken to another house.
