Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gewalt | /ɡəˈvalt/ | feminine |
| Gewalttaten | feminine, plural |
Gewalt refers to an action intended to cause destruction, pain or suffering. Beyond physical violence, it can also mean 'power', 'authority' or 'force', such as in the term Staatsgewalt (state authority). You can specify types of violence using körperliche Gewalt for 'physical violence' or psychische Gewalt for 'psychological violence'. To say 'to exercise violence' or 'to use violence', use the phrase Gewalt ausüben.
Which one should you use?
While Gewalt refers to the abstract concept of violence, Gewalttat refers to a specific, individual act of violence. The plural form Gewalttaten specifically refers to multiple individual violent acts rather than the general concept of violence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form Gewalttaten is used to describe multiple individual acts of violence.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈvalt/
Did you know?
- In Yiddish, the cognate gevald is often used as an exclamation of surprise, shock or alarm, similar to saying 'Good heavens!' or 'My goodness!'
- In legal contexts, Gewalt can refer to 'custody' or 'guardianship', such as elterliche Gewalt for parental authority.
- The term Gewaltenteilung refers to the 'separation of powers' in government, using the same word for violence to describe administrative authority.
Examples in context
- List geht über Gewalt.Cunning ignores violence.This sentence shows how cunning ignores Gewalt.Tatoeba #2081812 by Esperantostern, translation #6177879 by carlosalberto
- Wir mögen keine Gewalt.We don't like violence.This sentence expresses a dislike for Gewalt.Tatoeba #1386472 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1176016 by CK
- Das war sinnlose Gewalt.This was senseless violence.This sentence describes a type of senseless Gewalt.Tatoeba #3130833 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1513216 by Spamster
- Er ist manchmal gewalttätigHe is sometimes violent
- Er hat Gewalt gegen seinen Nachbarn angewendetHe used violence against his neighbor
- unvorstellbare Gewaltunimaginable violence
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are discussing a news report about a city conflict.
- JuliaHast du die Nachrichten gesehen?Did you see the news?
- LukasJa, die Gewalt in der Stadt ist schrecklich.Yes, the violence in the city is terrible.
- JuliaIch hoffe, dass es bald aufhört.I hope that it stops soon.
- LukasDas hoffe ich auch, Julia.I hope so too, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “violence” translations and entries Gewalt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gewalt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
