verhaften

arrest

verb fer-HAF-ten Less Common

Usage Note

verhaften means to arrest and is the active counterpart of in Haft (in custody) and Haftbefehl (arrest warrant). The participle verhaftet doubles as an adjective: einer Idee verhaftet sein means to be wedded to an idea. The prefix ver- is inseparable.

Examples

"Die Polizei verhaftet den Dieb."

Natural Translation

The police arrest the thief.

Literal Translation

The police arrests the thief.

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