der Verdächtige
suspect
A person suspected of having committed a crime or being involved in a crime.
EXAMPLE
Ein Zeuge erkannte den Verdächtigen auf einem Foto wieder.
A witness recognized the suspect in a photograph.
der Verdächtige
suspect
die Verdächtige, die Verdächtigen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Verdächtige, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Verdächtigen |
| genitive | der Verdächtigen |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Verdächtige | die Verdächtigen |
| accusative | die Verdächtige | die Verdächtigen |
| dative | der Verdächtigen | den Verdächtigen |
| genitive | der Verdächtigen | der Verdächtigen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Der Verdächtige' (the suspect) is a nominalized adjective. It comes from 'verdächtig' (suspicious) and refers to a person who is considered suspicious. That is why the word is capitalized like a noun.
EXAMPLE
Die Ermittler beobachteten den Verdächtigen mehrere Tage lang.
The investigators watched the suspect for several days.
Typical collocations
'Verdächtige' (suspects) is often used with verbs from the police context, such as 'einen Verdächtigen festnehmen' (to arrest a suspect), 'einen Verdächtigen befragen' (to question a suspect), and 'gegen einen Verdächtigen ermitteln' (to investigate a suspect).
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei befragte den Verdächtigen noch am selben Abend.
The police questioned the suspect that same evening.
Register
'Der Verdächtige' (the suspect) is especially common in police reports, newspaper articles, and legal texts. The word describes a suspicion and does not yet establish the person's guilt.
EXAMPLE
Der Verdächtige wurde nach seiner Aussage wieder freigelassen.
The suspect was released again after giving his statement.
In real life
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