German word

stehlen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃteːlən/

Meaning

  • verbsteal

Example

Sie hat mir gestern das Portemonnaie gestohlen.

She stole my wallet yesterday.

Illustration for stehlen (steal)

More examples

In der U-Bahn wurden ihm die Kopfhörer gestohlen.

His headphones were stolen from him on the subway.

Core concept

A hand quietly taking an object that belongs to someone else.

Common phrases

  • einem Passanten etwas stehlen

    steal something from a passerby

  • in der U-Bahn etwas stehlen

    steal something on the subway

  • die Geldbörse stehlen

    steal the wallet

Similar words

klauen: Take someone else's things without permission in casual everyday speech.
rauben: Take property from someone through violence or threats.
einstecken: Slip someone else's item into a pocket and carry it away unnoticed.
entwenden: Secretly take an item in a formal or literary style.

Definition in German

jemandem etwas heimlich oder ohne Erlaubnis nehmen

Word origin

Stehlen continues Old High German stelan and Proto-Germanic *stelaną, the same Germanic root as English steal.

Usage tips

  • The person deprived is usually in the dative and the item taken is in the accusative, as in jemandem etwas stehlen.

Other meanings

  • pilferverb
  • swipeverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word