bodily harm
Loading your saved state.
bodily harm
A criminal offense in which one person physically abuses another person or harms their health. This includes both minor and serious injuries.
Er wurde wegen gefährlicher Körperverletzung angeklagt.
He was charged with dangerous bodily harm.
The word is made up of 'der Körper' (the body) and 'die Verletzung' (the injury). It literally describes an injury to the body.
Eine Ohrfeige kann bereits als leichte Körperverletzung gelten.
A slap in the face can already count as minor bodily harm.
'Körperverletzung' (bodily harm) is a fixed term from criminal law. It is used mainly in the context of the police, courts, and laws.
Er hat Anzeige wegen Körperverletzung erstattet.
He filed a complaint for bodily harm.
Common verbs in this context are 'eine Körperverletzung begehen' (to commit bodily harm), 'jemanden wegen Körperverletzung anzeigen' (to report someone for bodily harm), or 'wegen Körperverletzung verurteilt werden' (to be convicted of bodily harm).
Der Täter wurde wegen schwerer Körperverletzung verurteilt.
The perpetrator was convicted of grievous bodily harm.
attack
Angriff refers to violent action against a person. Körperverletzung (bodily harm) is the legal term used when a person is physically abused or harmed in their health as a result. An attack that is successfully repelled therefore does not have to lead to bodily harm.
Weil der Täter den Wachmann schlug und verletzte, wurde er wegen Körperverletzung angezeigt.
Because the perpetrator hit and injured the security guard, he was reported for bodily harm.
Der Wachmann wehrte den Angriff ab, bevor der Täter ihn treffen konnte.
The security guard repelled the attack before the perpetrator could hit him.
