German synonym thread (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

German synonym thread
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

55 messages over 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next >>

Sh'Naya
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Message 25 of 55

27 November 2010 at 2:15am | IP Logged

koba wrote:

Gosiak wrote:

More of these:

töten - umbringen - killen (mag ich nicht besonders) - erledigen - kalt machen - ermorden
- hinrichten

Töten is the everyday word, which is used in reference to people and animals, but umbringen is a common synonym used for people, which is the usual word with reference to killing oneself too, e.g. Er hat das Krokodil getötet (He killed the crocodile); Er hat sich umgebracht(He killed himself).

That's correct. However, I would also use umbringen referring to pets: "Er hat meinen Hund umgebracht!" Töten is neutral. Umbringen shows the speaker is emotionally involved (at least in my opinion).

koba wrote:

I believe Killen is rarer and used more in colloquial contexts, for instance, I saw once "Es wird killen" (e.g. "It will be the bomb!"), but I heard that it can also be used to refer to the killing of people, though i've never seen it like that. Der Killer is sometimes used to refer to a murderer/killer, but of course, referring to people.

Killen is only used in colloquial contexts (while playing computer games, maybe in movies). "Er hat ihn gekillt." "Ich kill dich".

koba wrote:

But note that sometimes verbs change their meaning by the prefix er- to mean that it was fatal, i.e. schlagen is "to hit/beat", but erschlagen is "to beat to death", same as in schießen and erschießen ("to shoot", "to shoot dead"). More examples: erdrücken (to crush to death), erstechen (to stab to death).

Even though I found a few examples for "er wurde erdrückt" I've never encountered it in the sense of "to crush to death" before. Zerdrücken or zerquetschen can be used for "crushed to death". "Er wurde von dem Felsen zerdrückt/zerquetscht." Only circumstances and problems are erdrückend - worse than bedrückend.

Hängen and erhängen: In both cases the victim is dead. "Er wurde gehängt/erhängt."
Umlegen is more rough than erschießen.
Erlegen is used for the prey of a hunter. "Die Beute wurde erlegt."
Abstechen is the same as erstechen.

koba wrote:

erledigen, in this context, is more like a subtle way of saying 'to kill', like in "to get sb done, e.g. Man muss ihn erledigen (We gotta get him done)
kalt machen is also very colloquial, like in "to off sb", "to ice sb" in English.

Um die Ecke bringen, unter die Erde bringen, zum Schweigen bringen, jemanden den Garaus machen and einen Kopf kürzer machen are colloquial expressions. It's kaltmachen by the way. Kalt machen refers to "to cool something".

koba wrote:

And finally, Hinrichten means "to execute".

Exekutieren as well.

The verb meucheln is often used in fantasy literature and role playing games. The murderer there is frequently called Meuchelmörder.

Another word for to kill is lynchen. It's rarely used but is not colloquial.

Abschlachten is a very bloody way of killing. "Sie wurden regelrecht abgeschlachtet."

To sum up: "to kill"
töten - umbringen - killen - erledigen - erlegen - kaltmachen - ermorden - morden - hinrichten - exekutieren - abschlachten - schlachten - um die Ecke bringen - unter die Erde bringen - erstechen - abstechen - lynchen - meucheln - hängen - erhängen - (...)

edit: I forgot to mention abmurksen, abservieren, ausradieren and ausmerzen; umnieten and wegpusten (the last two: to kill by shooting)

Edited by Sh'Naya on 27 November 2010 at 2:26am
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schoenewaelder
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Message 26 of 55

27 November 2010 at 3:00pm | IP Logged

Maybe if you were crushed to death by a falling printer?
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Frieza
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Message 27 of 55

29 November 2010 at 11:13pm | IP Logged

Is there any difference among 'der Fahrschein', 'der Fahrausweis', 'die Fahrkarte' and 'das Ticket'?
I think there was another one but I can't remember it.
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Doitsujin
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Message 28 of 55

29 November 2010 at 11:37pm | IP Logged

Frieza wrote:

Is there any difference among 'der Fahrschein', 'der Fahrausweis', 'die Fahrkarte' and 'das Ticket'?

I'd use Fahrschein for a subway/bus ticket, Fahrkarte for a train ticket and Ticket for a flight ticket.
Fahrausweis is more formal and mostly used by ticket inspectors. For example, they might say "Die Fahrausweise zur Kontrolle bitte."
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Ubik
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Message 29 of 55

30 November 2010 at 8:27am | IP Logged

There are still some buried that I dont think were answered, but to kill has
definitely been thoroughly covered! Thank you koba and Sh'naya!

Here is a new one:

in letzter Zeit (the only one Ive been using until I saw these other ones tonight) -von
kurzen - neuerdings - kürzlich - jüngst
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Frieza
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Message 30 of 55

30 November 2010 at 5:06pm | IP Logged

Doitsujin wrote:

Frieza wrote:

Is there any difference among 'der Fahrschein', 'der Fahrausweis', 'die Fahrkarte' and 'das Ticket'?

Thanks.
Any idea what the other German word for ticket might be?
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koba
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Message 31 of 55

30 November 2010 at 5:44pm | IP Logged

Ubik wrote:

Based on the same book "Mastering German Vocabulary", i've shortened it here about how to render RECENTLY/LATELY

Vor kurzem refers to a not so distant past and with which kürzlich is synonymous, as is unlängst, but this is a more elevated word, e.g. "Sie war vor kurzem/kürzlich bei uns auf Besuch" She recently visited us ('auf Besuch' or 'zu Besuch', both are correct)

Neulich is very close in meaning to the above, but is vaguer and is possibly further back in the past. But note that only seit kurzem can be used if the action started in the recent past and continues into the present, e.g. "Er lernt seit kurzem Deutsch"

In letzer Zeit and neuerdings are synonymous. They refer to a period of time leading up to the present, e.g. "Die Kontrollen an der Grenze sind in letzter Zeit/neuerdings strenger geworden" The checks on the border have got stricter recently/lately

Vorhin, being the most recent of all, refers to 'just now', 'just a moment ago', 'earlier on today'

If you want to say "As recently as", then you have to use erst, e.g., Ich habe ihn erst letzte Woche gesehen ‘I saw him as recently as last week’

I hope that helps :)

Edited by koba on 30 November 2010 at 5:57pm
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Ubik
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Message 32 of 55

30 November 2010 at 10:49pm | IP Logged

As soon as I get some cash, I really need to buy that book. In the meantime, thank you for another insightful post. That was very helpful. You brought a few more to light that I didnt even know about. Does that mean that jüngst doesnt belong in this category at all?

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