schuld sein (an+Dat)

Based on: Schuld
Phrase
1.

something is someone's fault

(In German, the person is the subject and the "deed" is the object. Think of it as "I am guilty for...")
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Examples
  • Die Gesellschaft ist schuld.
  • It's the societies fault/society is to blame.
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Word Family

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Sources for Etymology:

My Articles

The Meanings of “die Schuld” and “schulden”

A fun look at the meaning of "die Schuld" and its family, a nice theory why Germans don’t like having debt and a super surprising connection to English. #OMG

Vocab: die Schuld, schuldig, die Entschuldigung, (sich) entschuldigen, Schulden

Read article →

Questions and Comments

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2 Comments
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Adam
Adam

You could also add: jdn trifft keine Schuld.
Which is a kinda weird phrasing.
Keine Schuld trifft ihn/sie/uns. No guilt falls upon us.
We’re not to blame.
But I take it it’s more normal to put the accusative object first. Like. Mich trifft keine Schuld. = Ich bin unschuldig

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Emanuel
Author
Emanuel
Reply to  Adam

Oh yes, it would be quite strange to say “Keine Schuld trifft mich.”

Reply

How many meanings does the German word 'schuld sein (an+Dat)' have?

schuld sein (an+Dat) has 1 distinct meaning: 1. something is someone's fault.

What is 'schuld sein (an+Dat)' related to?

The word 'schuld sein (an+Dat)' is related to Schuld.

Where can I learn more about 'schuld sein (an+Dat)'?

Here are some articles where you can learn more about 'schuld sein (an+Dat)':

The Meanings of “die Schuld” and “schulden”
A fun look at the meaning of "die Schuld" and its family, a nice theory why Germans don’t like having debt and a super surprising connection to English. #OMG
Vocab: die Schuld, schuldig, die Entschuldigung, (sich) entschuldigen, Schulden
Read article