Polyglot Dictionary

Motiv

/moˈtiːf/

das noun B2

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

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

N Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

plural
die Motive

Meaning

  1. motive; motif

    • Die Polizei kennt das Motiv nicht.

      The police don't know the motive.

N Category Thing Concreteness Concrete Animacy Inanimate Countability Countable Scope Individual

Similar words

Motivation

Easy to conflate: Motivation is the drive or energy behind an action; Motiv is the specific underlying reason or motive (also separately means "motif" in art).

Similar in other languages

English

motif

motif is the English word for the same thing — both mean "motif."

English

motivation

motivation is the English word for the same thing — both mean "motive."

Practice

1 What does Motiv mean?

2 Fill the gap: Die Polizei kennt das ___ nicht.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches Motiv?

noun

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