German word

festnehmen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfɛstˌneːmən/

Meaning

  • verbarrest

Example

Die Polizei nimmt den Verdächtigen fest.

The police are arresting the suspect.

Illustration for festnehmen (arrest)

More examples

Gestern haben Beamte den Verdächtigen festgenommen.

Yesterday, officers arrested the suspect.

Core concept

A police officer stops a fleeing suspect and keeps the person firmly in custody.

Common phrases

  • einen Verdächtigen festnehmen

    arrest a suspect

  • den Täter festnehmen

    arrest the culprit

  • jemanden auf frischer Tat festnehmen

    arrest someone in the act

Similar words

verhaften: To formally arrest someone under legal authority and place them in detention.
festhalten: To hold someone firmly so they cannot move or get away.

Definition in German

Die Polizei nimmt eine Person wegen konkreter Verdachtsmomente oder einer Straftat vorläufig in Gewahrsam.

Word origin

Festnehmen is a Germanic compound of fest, meaning 'firm' or 'fixed', and nehmen, meaning 'take', giving the sense of taking someone firmly into custody.

Usage tips

  • Festnehmen is separable, so a main clause has nimmt ... fest, while the infinitive and participle are festnehmen and festgenommen.

Other meanings

  • detainverb
  • captureverb
  • bring inverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word