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Täter. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Täter, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Täter in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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German
Etymology
15th century, backformation from the older pairs Missetäter/Übeltäter and Wohltäter/Guttäter. Equivalent to Tat (“deed”) + -er (“-er”, agent suffix). Compare Dutch dader (also a backformation).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈtɛːtər/, ,
- Hyphenation: Tä‧ter
Noun
Täter m (strong, genitive Täters, plural Täter, feminine Täterin)
- (law) perpetrator, delinquent
Die Polizei konnte den Täter festnehmen.- Police were able to arrest the perpetrator.
2010, Der Spiegel, number 27/2010, page 109:Ein Gericht verurteilt einen Täter zu einer Strafe. Nachdem er sie verbüßt hat, ist der Rechtsfrieden wieder hergestellt: Seine Schuld ist getilgt, die Strafe söhnt ihn mit der Gesellschaft aus.- A court sentences a delinquent to a penalty. After he has served it, the lawful state is restored: His guilt is cleared, the punishment reconciles him with society.
- (in a general sense rare) doer, one who does
Wir sollen nicht nur Hörer, sondern Täter des Wortes sein.- We are called not to be mere hearers, but doers of the word.
Declension
Derived terms
Further reading
- “Täter” in Duden online
- “Täter” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache