niemand hat die Absicht

German

Etymology

After the famous statement Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten (“No one has the intention to build a wall”), made by East German leader Walter Ulbricht at a press conference in June 1961, two months before the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Pronunciation

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Phrase

niemand hat die Absicht

1. (idiomatic, with zu + infinitive) Introduces a sentence that expresses a supposed secret plan or hidden agenda.

   Niemand hat die Absicht, die Grundrechte einzuschränken.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   (literally, “Nobody has the intention to restrict fundamental rights.”)