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die Kommissarin
detective
A female police officer in a leading role, especially in criminal investigation.
example
Die Kommissarin leitet die Ermittlungen im neuen Mordfall.
The detective is leading the investigation in the new murder case.
die Kommissarin
commissioner / detective
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Feminine form with "-in"
The ending '-in' is used in German to form the feminine form of many professions and roles. 'Die Kommissarin' (the female commissioner/detective) is the feminine form of 'der Kommissar' (the male commissioner/detective).
EXAMPLE
Sie ist die erste Kommissarin in der Geschichte dieser Polizeiwache.
She is the first female detective in the history of this police station.
Context clue
You can tell from context whether a policewoman or a politician is meant. Words like 'Polizei' (police), 'Ermittlung' (investigation), or 'Mordfall' (murder case) point to the police detective, while 'EU', 'Kommission' (commission), or 'Politik' (politics) point to the politician.
EXAMPLE
Die Kommissarin befragte die Zeugen des Unfalls.
The detective questioned the witnesses to the accident.
Typical collocations (police)
In a police context, 'Kommissarin' (detective) is often combined with verbs such as 'ermitteln' (to investigate), 'einen Fall lösen' (to solve a case), 'einen Täter festnehmen' (to arrest a perpetrator), or 'Zeugen verhören' (to interrogate witnesses).
EXAMPLE
Die Kommissarin leitet die Ermittlungen in einem komplizierten Fall.
The detective is leading the investigation in a complicated case.
Typical collocations (politics)
In a political context, e.g. in the EU, a 'Kommissarin' (commissioner) is 'für ein Ressort zuständig' (responsible for a department), 'stellt Richtlinien vor' (presents guidelines), or 'vertritt die Kommission' (represents the Commission).
EXAMPLE
Die EU-Kommissarin ist für den Bereich Umwelt zuständig.
The EU Commissioner is responsible for the area of the environment.
Compare with
Kommissarin vs Kommissar
commissioner / inspector
'der Kommissar' and 'die Kommissarin' basically refer to the same function, but they differ in the gender of the person. In the police, a 'Kommissar' is a male senior criminal police officer, while a 'Kommissarin' is a woman in this role. This distinction also exists for official posts, for example in the EU. Learners may confuse the words because the task can be the same. The important point is: for a man, you say 'der Kommissar'; for a woman, you say 'die Kommissarin'.
Kommissarin
Die Kommissarin hat den Fall nach drei Wochen gelöst.
The detective solved the case after three weeks.
Kommissar
Der Kommissar erklärt der Presse, wie die Ermittlungen weitergehen.
The detective inspector explains to the press how the investigation will proceed.
In real life
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