Feind gesichtet
The English phrase "enemy spotted" is translated into German as Feind gesichtet.
This phrase is used to announce that an opponent or hostile force has been seen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun Feind (enemy) and the past participle gesichtet (spotted/sighted).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, one might say Ich hab' a Gegner g'sehn! to mean "I saw an enemy!"
How does it change in a sentence?
In a military or tactical context, the phrase is often used as an elliptical sentence, omitting the auxiliary verb ist (is) for brevity.
Did you know?
- The English word 'fiend' and the German word Feind are linguistic siblings that both originally meant a simple enemy. Today, 'fiend' has shifted to mean a demon or a wicked person, while Feind retains its meaning of a hostile opponent.
- In a professional office setting, you might hear someone say they are Unterlagen sichten, which means they are 'sifting through' or 'reviewing' documents. This uses the same verb of observation found in military spotting.
- The word gesichtet is not used for seeing something by chance, but specifically for spotting an object after a period of active scanning or searching.
Examples in context
- Feind gesichtet, Richtung Norden!Enemy spotted, direction north!
- Feind gesichtet, links im Gebüsch!Enemy spotted, on the left in the bushes!
- Achtung, Feind gesichtet am Horizont.Attention, enemy spotted on the horizon.
- Feind gesichtet, wir müssen uns verstecken.Enemy spotted, we must hide.
Example conversation
Two players are playing a tactical video game together.
- JuliaFelix, Feind gesichtet!Felix, enemy spotted!
- FelixIch sehe ihn auch, Julia.I see him too, Julia.
- JuliaZiele auf ihn!Aim at him!
- FelixAlles klar, ich schieße.All right, I'm shooting.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Feind, feind, CC BY-SA 4.0.
