crimen
/KREE-men/
crime
The primary meaning of 'crimen' is a serious illegal act, often translated as 'crime' or 'felony'.
crimen(Noun)
crime
?a serious illegal act
felony
?a grave crime, like murder or armed robbery
,offense
?a violation of the law
📝 In Action
La policía está investigando la escena del crimen.
B1The police are investigating the crime scene.
El robo a mano armada es un crimen muy grave.
B1Armed robbery is a very serious crime.
Fue condenado por un crimen que no cometió.
B2He was convicted of a crime he did not commit.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Masculine: 'el crimen'
Even though it doesn't end in -o, 'crimen' is a masculine word. Always say 'el crimen' or 'un crimen'. This is common for many words ending in -en or -men that come from older languages, like 'el examen' (the exam).
❌ Common Pitfalls
'Crimen' vs. 'Delito'
Mistake: "Usar 'crimen' para un robo de tienda. (Using 'crimen' for shoplifting.)"
Correction: En español, 'crimen' se usa para algo muy serio, como un asesinato. Para ofensas menores, como robar en una tienda, la palabra 'delito' es mucho más común. Piensa en 'crimen' como 'felony' y 'delito' como un término más general para cualquier 'offense'.
Figuratively, 'crimen' is used informally to express strong disapproval, meaning 'a shame' or 'an outrage' (e.g., 'It's a crime to waste that food').
crimen(Noun)
a shame
?something regrettable
a crime
?figurative, a terrible thing to do
,an outrage
?something shockingly unfair
📝 In Action
Es un crimen desperdiciar tanta comida buena.
B2It's a crime to waste so much good food.
¡Cobrar cincuenta euros por esa camiseta es un crimen!
B2Charging fifty euros for that t-shirt is an outrage!
Con el talento que tiene, es un crimen que no se dedique a la música.
C1With the talent he has, it's a shame he doesn't dedicate himself to music.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Strong Feelings
Use 'es un crimen' to add emotion and show you think something is a terrible waste or very unfair. It's a stronger way to say 'es una lástima' (it's a shame).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: crimen
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'crimen' in its figurative sense (as 'a shame' or 'an outrage')?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the real difference between 'crimen' and 'delito'?
Think of it like this: 'crimen' is a big, serious offense, like a murder or a major heist (what English speakers often call a 'felony'). 'Delito' is a more general, catch-all term for any illegal act, big or small (like 'offense' or 'misdemeanor'). So, every 'crimen' is a 'delito', but not every 'delito' is serious enough to be called a 'crimen'.