to suspect
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to suspect
To believe or assume that someone is responsible for a negative or criminal act, without having final proof of it.
Die Polizei verdächtigt den Nachbarn, das Fahrrad gestohlen zu haben.
The police suspect the neighbor of having stolen the bicycle.
This verb is often constructed with an accusative object (the suspected person) and a genitive object (the act). Alternatively, a 'wegen' (because of / on account of) construction is often used.
Man verdächtigt ihn des Diebstahls.
They suspect him of theft.
Instead of the genitive, a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to) is very often used to describe the suspected act.
Sie verdächtigt ihn, das Geld genommen zu haben.
She suspects him of having taken the money.
The verb 'verdächtigen' (to suspect) belongs to a word family with the noun 'der Verdacht' (suspicion) and the adjective 'verdächtig' (suspicious). All three words revolve around the idea of suspecting a crime.
Sein verdächtiges Verhalten führte dazu, dass der Verdacht auf ihn fiel.
His suspicious behavior led to suspicion falling on him.
to impute / shelter / subordinate
Verdächtigen means assuming, without conclusive proof, that someone has committed a negative or criminal act. Unterstellen refers more strongly to attributing a usually negative intention or characteristic to someone, often without justification or unfairly. For a mere suspicion, use verdächtigen; for an unfair claim, use unterstellen.
Die Polizei verdächtigt den Nachbarn, das Fahrrad genommen zu haben.
The police suspect the neighbor of taking the bicycle.
Du kannst mir nicht unterstellen, das Fahrrad absichtlich genommen zu haben.
You can’t accuse me of taking the bicycle on purpose.
