spy / peephole
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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.
peephole
A small opening in a door fitted with a lens, through which you can see who is standing outside without opening the door.
Bevor sie öffnete, schaute sie durch den Spion in der Wohnungstür.
Before she opened the door, she looked through the peephole in the apartment door.
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
An Agent and a Spion both work secretly for someone who employs them. Spion, however, emphasizes collecting and passing on information about an opponent, while Agent can also include other covert tasks carried out on behalf of an organization. Choose Spion when focusing on the activity and Agent when focusing on the organized role.
Der Spion sammelte heimlich Informationen über das Nachbarland und gab sie seinem Auftraggeber weiter.
The spy secretly collected information about the neighboring country and passed it on to their handler.
Der Agent arbeitete im Geheimen für den Nachrichtendienst und übernahm verschiedene verdeckte Aufgaben.
The agent worked secretly for the intelligence service and carried out various covert tasks.
