Polizei
[ˌpo.liˈt͡saɪ̯]feminine
The English word 'police' is translated into German as Polizei.
Polizei refers to a local or general law enforcement agency as an institution.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Polizei refers to the institution, if you want to refer to a specific police authority or department, you can use the formal term Polizeibehörde.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Schupo is an informal term used in Berlin and parts of northern Germany to refer to uniformed police officers.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike in English, Polizei is a singular feminine noun and must be used with singular verbs. Even when referring to the police as a collective force, you use the singular form, such as Die Polizei ist hier.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use Polizei to refer to individual officers. In German, Polizei refers strictly to the institution. To refer to the people, use Polizist (masculine) or Polizistin (feminine).
Did you know?
- The word Polizei shares its distant roots with the English word 'policy', as both stem from the concept of 'civil administration'.
- German uses the term Blaulicht or 'blue light' as a common metonym for the police and other emergency services.
- In Germany, you can distinguish between the Landespolizei of the states and the Bundespolizei which handles federal borders and railways.
Examples in context
- Wo war die Polizei?Where were the police?This sentence is useful for asking about the past location of the Polizei.Tatoeba #11534087 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1531029 by Spamster
- Wo ist die Polizei?Where are the police?This sentence is useful for asking about the current location of the Polizei.Tatoeba #12417005 by mayabe, translation #2547471 by CK
- Ich rufe die Polizei!I'll call the police!This sentence is useful for expressing the intention to call the Polizei.Tatoeba #1697389 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1655950 by Spamster
- Als ich den Unfall gesehen habe, habe ich sofort die Polizei gerufen.When I saw the accident, I immediately called the police.
- Sie müssen diese Beschwerde bei der örtlichen Polizeibehörde einreichen.You need to submit this complaint to the local police department.
- Hast du gehört? Die Polizei hat letzte Nacht eine Party aufgelöst!Did you hear? The police shut down a party last night!
- 788 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are at a crowded city festival.
- LauraSchau, dort vorne steht die Polizei.Look, the police are standing over there.
- MaximilianGut, dann fragen wir dort nach dem Weg.Good, then we will ask them for the way.
- LauraDie Polizei sieht sehr freundlich aus.The police look very friendly.
- MaximilianJa, gehen wir jetzt zu ihnen.Yes, let's go to them now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries Polizei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Polizei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
