01
töten
to kill
To take the life of a living being (human or animal); to cause it to die.
example
Das Gift der Schlange kann einen Menschen innerhalb von Stunden töten.
The snake's venom can kill a person within hours.
töten
to kill
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'töten' (to kill) is directly related to the noun 'der Tod' (death) and the adjective 'tot' (dead). All three words belong to the same root and have a clear meaning relationship.
EXAMPLE
Der Sturz vom Baum war fast sein Tod.
The fall from the tree was almost his death.
Metaphorical use
In a figurative sense, 'töten' (to kill) can also mean to destroy something abstract. Common objects are then feelings or atmospheres, such as 'die Stimmung' (the mood), 'die Hoffnung' (the hope), or 'die Langeweile' (the boredom).
EXAMPLE
Sein lauter Anruf hat die ganze Konzentration im Raum getötet.
His loud phone call killed all the concentration in the room.
Fixed expression
The fixed idiom is 'die Zeit totschlagen' (to kill time). It means to occupy yourself with something unimportant in order to pass a waiting period. Sometimes 'töten' (to kill) is also used in this sense.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe am Bahnhof zwei Stunden die Zeit totgeschlagen.
I killed two hours of time at the train station.
Compare with
töten vs sterben
to die
'sterben' and 'töten' both talk about death, but from different perspectives. 'sterben' means that a person, animal, or plant stops living. The word does not automatically say who or what is responsible. 'töten' means that someone or something takes the life of a living being. So it needs a cause or an acting person or thing. Learners often confuse the words because both can fit the same event: an animal dies, but a car or a person can kill an animal. Memory aid: the one who 'stirbt' is the living being; the one who 'tötet' causes the death.
töten
Giftige Stoffe im Fluss können Fische und andere Tiere töten.
Toxic substances in the river can kill fish and other animals.
sterben
Viele Pflanzen sterben, wenn sie mehrere Wochen kein Wasser bekommen.
Many plants die if they do not get water for several weeks.
In real life
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