German for Reporting a Theft: "Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen" and Filing a Police Report
Learn to report a theft in German: say what was stolen, describe when and where it happened, and understand the basics of filing an Anzeige at a police station.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
If your wallet, phone or bag is stolen in a German-speaking country, you will usually need to file a police report (eine Anzeige erstatten) — for insurance claims, for replacing documents, and sometimes because it is required by law. This lesson teaches the exact phrases you need at the counter: saying what was stolen, when and where it happened, and answering the officer's follow-up questions. You will practise the passive voice in the past tense (wurde gestohlen), which is the standard way to report a theft in German, and learn how a report is actually filed.
By the end, you can…
- say that my wallet, phone or bag was stolen using "wurde gestohlen".
- give the time and place of the theft and describe what was inside the stolen item.
- ask to file a police report and understand the officer's basic follow-up questions.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen.
My wallet was stolen.
MY-nuh GELT-bur-zuh VOOR-duh guh-SHTOH-luhn
The standard, neutral way to report the theft. Geldbörse is common in standard German; in Austria and southern Germany you will often hear Geldtasche or Brieftasche.
Ich möchte eine Anzeige erstatten.
I would like to file a police report.
ikh MURKH-tuh EYE-nuh AHN-tsy-guh air-SHTAH-tuhn
Use this at the police station counter. Anzeige erstatten is the fixed legal-style collocation; do not say "eine Anzeige machen" in this formal context.
Das ist gestern am Hauptbahnhof passiert.
That happened yesterday at the main train station.
dahs ist GES-tuhrn ahm HOWPT-bahn-hohf pah-SEERT
Use passieren for events. Am Hauptbahnhof contracts an + dem; this is standard in all German-speaking countries.
Darin waren mein Ausweis, meine Bankkarte und etwa 50 Euro.
Inside were my ID, my bank card and about 50 euros.
dah-RIN VAH-ruhn mine OWSS-vice, MY-nuh BAHNK-kar-tuh unt ET-vah FOON-tsikh OY-roh
Darin means 'in it'. Note the plural verb waren with multiple items. In Austria and Switzerland, der Ausweis is also called der Personalausweis; in Austria, der Führerschein is often used as an everyday ID.
Kann ich eine Kopie des Protokolls bekommen?
Can I get a copy of the report?
kahn ikh EYE-nuh koh-PEE dess proh-toh-KOLSS buh-KOM-muhn
A Protokoll is the written record of your statement. Useful for insurance and for replacing documents.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To report a theft in German, use the passive with werden in the past tense: subject + wurde/wurden + past participle. Examples: Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen. Mein Handy wurde gestohlen. Meine Tasche und mein Rucksack wurden gestohlen. Note that wurde is singular and wurden is plural. The participle gestohlen comes from stehlen (to steal). This pattern is neutral and standard in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
When to use it
Use this passive pattern when you do not know or do not want to name the thief. If you saw the person, you can say: Ein Mann hat meine Geldbörse gestohlen. (A man stole my wallet.) At the police station, the officer may ask: Wann ist das passiert? (When did it happen?) Wo waren Sie? (Where were you?) Was war in der Geldbörse? (What was in the wallet?) Answer with simple statements: Das war gestern gegen 18 Uhr. Ich war im Bus. Darin waren mein Ausweis und meine Bankkarte.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Guten Tag, ich möchte eine Anzeige erstatten. Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen.
Good day, I would like to file a police report. My wallet was stolen.GOO-tuhn tahk, ikh MURKH-tuh EYE-nuh AHN-tsy-guh air-SHTAH-tuhn. MY-nuh GELT-bur-zuh VOOR-duh guh-SHTOH-luhn.Wann und wo ist das passiert?
When and where did that happen?vahn unt voh ist dahs pah-SEERT?Gestern gegen 18 Uhr am Hauptbahnhof. In der Geldbörse waren mein Ausweis, meine Bankkarte und etwa 50 Euro.
Yesterday around 6 p.m. at the main train station. In the wallet were my ID, my bank card and about 50 euros.GES-tuhrn GAY-guhn AHKT-tsayn OOR ahm HOWPT-bahn-hohf. in dair GELT-bur-zuh VAH-ruhn mine OWSS-vice, MY-nuh BAHNK-kar-tuh unt ET-vah FOON-tsikh OY-roh.Danke. Ich nehme Ihre Aussage auf. Sie bekommen eine Kopie des Protokolls.
Thank you. I will take down your statement. You will get a copy of the report.DAHN-kuh. ikh NAY-muh EE-ruh OWSS-zah-guh OWF. zee buh-KOM-muhn EYE-nuh koh-PEE dess proh-toh-KOLSS.A little context goes a long way
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, filing a police report (Anzeige) is generally free and can be done at any police station, though it is best at the station responsible for the area where the theft happened. For minor thefts, some forces accept online reports. Bring your passport or ID if you have it; if it was stolen too, say so clearly, because replacing it involves a separate procedure. Police officers use formal Sie; you should too.
One thing to watch for
Saying "Ich bin bestohlen" or "Meine Geldbörse ist gestohlen worden" as the main report phrase.
Try this instead: The natural, neutral report is "Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen." The form "ist gestohlen worden" is also correct but sounds more formal and is less common in everyday speech. Avoid "Ich bin bestohlen" — it is incomplete; if you want to say you were robbed, use "Ich wurde bestohlen."
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "My phone was stolen" in German?
Show a sample answer
Mein Handy wurde gestohlen.
This uses the passive past with wurde + gestohlen. You could also say "Mein Handy ist gestohlen worden," which is correct but more formal.
2The officer asks: "Was war in der Tasche?" Give one full answer.
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In der Tasche waren mein Ausweis, mein Schlüssel und etwas Geld.
Use waren for plural items. Singular would be war, e.g. "In der Tasche war nur mein Ausweis." Both are correct depending on what was inside.
3How do you ask for a copy of the report?
Show a sample answer
Kann ich eine Kopie des Protokolls bekommen?
This polite question uses kann ich ... bekommen. You could also say "Bekomme ich eine Kopie?" in a more casual tone, but the first version is safer at a police station.
For a theft report in German, remember the core sentence "Meine Geldbörse wurde gestohlen" and the request "Ich möchte eine Anzeige erstatten." Then answer the officer's questions with simple past-tense statements about when, where and what was inside.
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