die Tat
deed / act
An action or act that someone carries out. It refers to something that is done.
EXAMPLE
Auf große Worte müssen nun auch Taten folgen.
Great words must now be followed by deeds.
die Tat
deed / act
die Tat, die Taten
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Meanings
die Tat
crime / act
A criminal or punishable act. Often used in a legal or police context.
EXAMPLE
Der Verdächtige wurde kurz nach der Tat festgenommen.
The suspect was arrested shortly after the crime.
in der Tat
indeed
A fixed expression that means 'actually' or 'really' and confirms or emphasizes a previous statement.
EXAMPLE
Du hattest recht, das Essen ist in der Tat ausgezeichnet.
You were right; the food is indeed excellent.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Tat, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Taten |
| genitive | der Tat |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Tat | die Taten |
| accusative | die Tat | die Taten |
| dative | der Tat | den Taten |
| genitive | der Tat | der Taten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Tat' (the deed/act) is closely related to the verb 'tun' (to do) and the noun 'der Täter' (perpetrator; person who does something). A 'Tat' is therefore the result of an action, something that was done.
EXAMPLE
Der Täter konnte nach der Tat unerkannt fliehen.
The perpetrator was able to flee unnoticed after the crime.
Typical collocations
There are several fixed expressions with 'Tat'. 'Jemanden auf frischer Tat ertappen' means to catch someone right in the middle of an action, usually a negative one. 'Zur Tat schreiten' means to finally take action after talking.
EXAMPLE
Der Dieb wurde auf frischer Tat ertappt.
The thief was caught in the act.
Context clue: crime
In a legal or police context, 'die Tat' almost always refers to a criminal act. Words like 'Polizei' (police), 'Verdächtiger' (suspect), or 'gestehen' (to confess) point to this meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Angeklagte hat die Tat vor Gericht gestanden.
The defendant confessed to the crime in court.
Fixed expression
The expression 'in der Tat' (indeed) is a fixed expression and functions like an adverb meaning 'tatsächlich' (actually) or 'wirklich' (really). It often appears at the beginning of a sentence or after the verb to confirm a statement.
EXAMPLE
Das Konzert war in der Tat ein unvergessliches Erlebnis.
The concert was indeed an unforgettable experience.
Compare with
Tat vs Ding
thing
Tat directly names an action that has been carried out. Ding can refer to such an action colloquially while also expressing that it was surprising or impressive. Use Tat for the action itself and Ding for a casual, evaluative reaction.
Tat
Dass Mia das Kind aus dem Wasser gerettet hat, war eine mutige Tat.
The fact that Mia rescued the child from the water was a brave deed.
Ding
Dass Mia das Kind aus dem Wasser gerettet hat, war ein starkes Ding.
The fact that Mia rescued the child from the water was quite a feat.
In real life
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