German word

anklagen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈanklaːgn̩/

Meaning

  • verbaccuse

Example

Er klagte seinen Chef wegen Diebstahls an.

He accused his boss of theft.

Illustration for anklagen (accuse)

More examples

Journalisten klagen den Konzern immer wieder an.

Journalists repeatedly accuse the corporation.

Core concept

A prosecutor places a person under a formal criminal charge, bringing the alleged wrongdoing into court.

Common phrases

  • wegen Betrugs anklagen

    accuse of fraud

  • formell anklagen

    formally accuse

  • vor Gericht anklagen

    accuse in court

Similar words

beschuldigen: Accuse someone of wrongdoing in a private setting or conversation.
anzeigen: Report an alleged offense to the police or prosecutors.
verklagen: Bring a civil lawsuit against someone to seek damages.
vorwerfen: Reproach someone directly for their words or actions.

Definition in German

Rechtlich gegen jemanden vorgehen und ihn einer Straftat beschuldigen.

Word origin

Anklagen combines the separable prefix an- with inherited Germanic klagen, meaning 'to complain' or 'bring a charge,' and developed its legal sense.

Usage tips

  • Anklagen is separable: 'Er klagt seinen Chef an'; it takes an accusative object, and 'wegen' commonly introduces the alleged offense.

Other meanings

  • indictverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Anklageschriftindictmentnoun
  • Anklägeraccusernoun

Word lists with this word