krumm
crooked
Not straight, but bent or curved.
EXAMPLE
Der Nagel ist krumm, den können wir nicht mehr verwenden.
The nail is crooked; we can't use it anymore.
krumm
crooked
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Meanings
krumm
crooked / shady
Colloquial for dishonest, illegal, or shady. Often in the phrase 'krumme Geschäfte' (crooked dealings) or 'krumme Dinger' (shady dealings).
EXAMPLE
Er ist bekannt dafür, krumme Dinger zu drehen.
He is known for pulling shady deals.
jemandem etwas krumm nehmen
to hold against someone
To resent something someone did or hold it against them; to be angry with someone because of something.
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, du nimmst mir die späte Antwort nicht krumm.
I hope you don't hold my late reply against me.
Usage tips
Fixed expression
The idiom 'jemandem etwas krumm nehmen' (to hold something against someone) is fixed. The person who gets annoyed is in the dative. The expression is very often used in the negative to apologize or soften criticism.
EXAMPLE
Nimm es mir nicht krumm, aber dein Vorschlag ist nicht gut.
Don't hold it against me, but your suggestion isn't good.
Colloquial meaning
In colloquial language, 'krumm' (crooked) also means 'unehrlich' (dishonest) or 'illegal' (illegal). It is almost always used in fixed combinations like 'krumme Geschäfte' (crooked dealings) or 'krumme Dinger' (shady dealings).
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei ermittelt gegen ihn wegen krummer Geschäfte.
The police are investigating him for crooked dealings.
Typical collocations
In its literal meaning, 'krumm' (crooked) often describes body parts such as 'ein krummer Rücken' (a hunched/crooked back) or 'eine krumme Nase' (a crooked nose), but also objects like 'ein krummer Ast' (a crooked branch).
EXAMPLE
Der alte Mann ging mit krummem Rücken durch den Park.
The old man walked through the park with a hunched back.
Compare with
krumm vs schief
crooked / off-key
Schief and krumm both describe something that is not straight. Schief mainly refers to an inclination or misalignment, while krumm refers to a bend or curved shape. Use schief for a line that is incorrectly aligned and krumm when the line itself is bent.
krumm
Die Tür ist krumm, weil das Holz durch die Feuchtigkeit gebogen wurde.
The door is warped because the wood was bent by the moisture.
schief
Die Tür hängt schief in ihrem Rahmen und lässt sich nur schwer schließen.
The door is hanging crooked in its frame and is difficult to close.
In real life
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