spy / peephole
Loading your saved state.
spy
A person who secretly collects information about an opponent, another country, or an organization and passes it on to their client or handler.
Der Spion wurde an der Grenze enttarnt und verhaftet.
The spy was exposed and arrested at the border.
The noun 'der Spion' (spy/peephole) belongs to the word family around the verb 'spionieren' (to spy, to observe secretly) and the noun 'die Spionage' (espionage, the activity of spying).
Er wurde beschuldigt, für eine ausländische Macht spioniert zu haben.
He was accused of having spied for a foreign power.
The two meanings are easy to distinguish. If it is about countries, governments, or secret information, it refers to the person. If the word appears in connection with a door, it means the small opening you look through.
James Bond ist der berühmteste Spion der Filmgeschichte.
James Bond is the most famous spy in film history.
When referring to the person, 'Spion' (spy) is often combined with verbs like 'enttarnen' (to expose), 'einschleusen' (to infiltrate/smuggle in), or 'anwerben' (to recruit).
Dem Geheimdienst gelang es, einen Spion in die Organisation einzuschleusen.
The intelligence service managed to infiltrate a spy into the organization.
In the meaning 'Türspion' (door peephole), the word is almost always used with the preposition 'durch' (through) and a verb of seeing, e.g. 'durch den Spion schauen' (to look through the peephole) or 'durch den Spion gucken' (to peek through the peephole).
Sie konnte durch den Spion erkennen, wer vor der Tür stand.
She could see through the peephole who was standing outside the door.
agent
'der Agent' and 'der Spion' can both mean a person who secretly gathers information. 'Spion' especially emphasizes the secret investigation of an opponent, a country, or an organization. 'Agent' often sounds more official and means a person who works for an intelligence service, a government, or an organization. So an agent can be a spy, but the word 'Agent' puts more emphasis on the client or employer and the role. Learners can confuse the words because they often appear in similar situations in films and news reports.
Der Spion hat heimlich Fotos von den Dokumenten gemacht.
The spy secretly took photos of the documents.
Der Agent arbeitet im Ausland für einen geheimen Nachrichtendienst.
The agent works abroad for a secret intelligence service.