crimen
“crimen” means “crime” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
crime
Also: felony, offense
📝 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.
a shame
Also: a crime, an outrage
📝 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.
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✏️ 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
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'crimen', which meant 'charge' or 'accusation', and later came to mean the offense itself. It's related to the idea of making a judgment or decision about a wrongful act.
First recorded: Around the 13th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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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'.