It’s the person behind the crime scene, the subject of a police report, or the villain in a movie. In German, that’s der Verbrecher. This is your German word of the day, and it’s a powerful word you’ll hear in news stories, courtrooms, and thriller novels alike.
The noun Verbrecher means criminal, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether used formally or emotionally, it points directly at someone who has broken the law—or, in some cases, betrayed a moral code.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Verbrecher (still puzzling over gender? Our fast and easy video lesson will finally make it click: https://deutschable.com/course/lesson-3-3/).
Pronunciation
Verbrecher is pronounced [fer-BRECH-er].
Ver like “fair,”
brech has a sharp “ch” like in Bach,
er ends softly, like “uh”
Stress is on the second syllable: ver-BRECH-er
It’s a harsh, guttural word—fitting for serious wrongdoing.
Example sentences:
Die Polizei hat den Verbrecher gefasst.
The police caught the criminal.
Er gilt als gefährlicher Verbrecher.
He is considered a dangerous criminal.
Nuance and usage tips
Verbrecher refers to a person who has committed a serious crime, such as theft, assault, or fraud. It’s stronger and more formal than just calling someone a böser Mensch or Gauner.
Feminine form: die Verbrecherin
Plural: die Verbrecher
Related words:
Verbrechen – crime
verbrecherisch – criminal (as an adjective)
Krimineller / Kriminelle – criminal (more technical/neutral)
In police or legal settings, Verbrecher has a strong, accusatory tone. It can also be used more emotionally or dramatically in everyday speech.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
Even beginners will encounter Verbrecher in news articles, crime series, or casual talk about justice:
“Sie haben den Verbrecher endlich gefunden.” – They finally found the criminal.
“Dieser Typ ist ein echter Verbrecher!” – That guy’s a real criminal! (emotional tone)
You’ll also see it in titles and phrases like:
Verbrecherjagd – manhunt
Verbrecherbande – gang of criminals
Organisierte Verbrecher – organized criminals
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Luca: Was ist da im Fernsehen?
Mira: Eine Doku über einen Verbrecher in Berlin.
Luca: Echt? Was hat er gemacht?
Mira: Bankraub und Einbruch!
Luca: What’s that on TV?
Mira: A documentary about a criminal in Berlin.
Luca: Really? What did he do?
Mira: Bank robbery and burglary!
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:
Der Verbrecher wurde verurteilt.
The criminal was convicted.
Accusative:
Sie haben den Verbrecher gesehen.
They saw the criminal.
Dative:
Mit dem Verbrecher spricht niemand.
No one speaks with the criminal.
Genitive:
Die Spuren des Verbrechers führten zum Tatort.
The criminal’s traces led to the crime scene.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Related expressions and compound words:
Verbrechensopfer – crime victim
Verbrechensbekämpfung – crime prevention
Verbrecherkartei – criminal database
Wiederholungstäter – repeat offender
Verbrecherorganisation – criminal organization
In fiction and journalism, Verbrecher often adds a dramatic tone—more emotional than the legal-sounding Täter (perpetrator).
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Verbrecher
🎥 Learn Verbrecher and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Ready for more German Words of the Day? Do you know Verräter? What about Untertitel?