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Illustration of the B1 German word “die Schuld”, which translates to “guilt, fault”. Close-up of a sheepish raccoon slumped under a huge glowing dark rain-cloud of guilt that hovers only over its own head, one bright accusing raindrop falling.
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Schuld is one of the B1 words in the free course — with this picture, the audio, and spaced repetition.

dieSchuld

guilt, fault

/ʃʊlt/

Examples — Schuld in a sentence

Sie trägt die ganze Schuld daran.

She bears all the blame for it.

Es war meine Schuld, das gebe ich zu.

It was my fault, I admit that.

How to remember it

SCHULD sounds like "should" or "shook." When you feel "guilt," you "should" have acted differently, and your conscience

More B1 words

Illustration of the B1 German word “schuldig”, which translates to “guilty”. Close-up of a raccoon slumped with head bowed and ears drooping under one harsh glowing beam of light, a huge heavy shadow of guilt pooling around it, filling the frame.
schuldig

/ˈʃʊldɪç/

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guilty

Comparative Forms

Positive schuldig
Komparativ schuldiger
Superlativ am schuldigsten

Examples

Der Angeklagte wurde schuldig des Diebstahls gesprochen.

The defendant was found guilty of theft.

Ich fühle mich schuldig wegen meines Fehlers gestern.

I feel guilty because of my mistake yesterday.

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Illustration of the B1 German word “die Strafe”, which translates to “punishment / penalty”. A guilty-looking cat sitting in a giant spotlight cone that beams straight down on it out of the dark, one huge accusing shadow-hand pointing at it from the frame's edge.
die Strafe

/ˈʃtʁaːfə/

punishment / penalty

Examples

Er bekam eine hohe Strafe für das Vergehen.

He received a high penalty for the offense.

Die Strafe für Falschparken ist teuer.

The fine for illegal parking is expensive.

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Illustration of the B1 German word “der Täter”, which translates to “perpetrator / culprit”. A raccoon in a striped jersey freezes mid-tiptoe in a spotlight with a stolen pie in both paws, one guilty eye squinting at the beam catching him.
der Täter

/ˈtɛːtɐ/

perpetrator / culprit

Examples

Die Polizei sucht noch immer nach dem Täter.

The police are still looking for the perpetrator.

Es gab keine Hinweise auf den Täter.

There were no clues about the culprit.

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Illustration of the B1 German word “unschuldig”, which translates to “innocent”. A small fluffy lamb stands alone in a bright innocent spotlight, wide-eyed and haloed in soft light, a huge accusing shadow-finger pointing at it from the dark frame edge while it is plainly blameless.
unschuldig

/ˈʊnʃʊldɪç/

innocent

Comparative Forms

Positive unschuldig
Komparativ unschuldiger
Superlativ am unschuldigsten

Examples

Der Angeklagte beteuerte seine Unschuld, er war unschuldig.

The defendant asserted his innocence; he was innocent.

Sie hatte ein unschuldiges Lächeln auf den Lippen.

She had an innocent smile on her lips.

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Illustration of the B1 German word “das Urteil”, which translates to “verdict / judgment”. A solemn heron in a powdered wig brings a wooden gavel down onto its block, the impact sending a shockwave ring through the courtroom air.
das Urteil

/ˈuːɐ̯ˌtaɪ̯l/

verdict / judgment

Examples

Das Gericht wird heute sein Urteil verkünden.

The court will announce its verdict today.

Man sollte nicht zu schnell ein Urteil über andere fällen.

One should not pass judgment on others too quickly.

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Illustration of the B1 German word “das Verbrechen”, which translates to “crime”. A masked raccoon burglar in a striped jersey caught red-handed, one paw deep in a giant cookie jar clutching a huge cookie, frozen wide-eyed in a bright torch beam as a shocked owl points an accusing wing at him.
das Verbrechen

/fɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩/

crime

Examples

Ein Verbrechen bleibt niemals ungesühnt.

A crime never goes unpunished.

Die Polizei ermittelt in einem schweren Verbrechen.

The police are investigating a serious crime.

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schuldig — guilty

schuldigStrafeTäterunschuldigUrteilVerbrechenAll German word pages

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