Polyglot Dictionary

köpfen

/ˈkœpfn̩/

verb B2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

V Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

present
köpft
past
köpfte
perfect
hat geköpft

Meaning

  1. to behead

    • Der Geist wurde vor Jahrhunderten geköpft.

      The ghost was beheaded centuries ago.

    • Früher köpfte man Verbrecher mit dem Schwert. Heute ist das undenkbar.

      In the past criminals were beheaded with the sword. Today that is unthinkable.

V Category Action Concreteness Concrete Agency Voluntary Duration Durative Transitivity Transitive

Similar words

enthaupten

köpfen is more common in everyday or historical narrative contexts for "to behead," and can also mean "to head" a ball in football; enthaupten is more formal or literary.

Similar in other languages

Portuguese

decapitar

decapitar is the Portuguese word for the same thing — both mean "to behead."

Portuguese

degolar

degolar is the Portuguese word for the same thing — both mean "to behead."

Practice

1 What does köpfen mean?

2 Fill the gap: Der Geist wurde vor Jahrhunderten ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches köpfen?

See also

verb

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