erwischt

Erwischt is a German term that functions as the past participle of the verb erwischen, and is commonly used to indicate that someone has been caught in the act or detected while doing something—often something illicit, embarrassing, or secretive. In everyday language, it can also mean simply that someone was caught by surprise in any situation. The present perfect is formed with haben: Ich habe dich erwischt. The simple past is erwischte: Gestern erwischte ich ihn beim Schummeln. The passive form is wurde erwischt, as in Der Dieb wurde auf frischer Tat erwischt.

An important idiom is in flagranti erwischen, meaning to catch someone in the act. Another common synonym is ertappen. The exclamation Erwischt! is widely used in informal speech and in captions or memes to signal a successful catch. In formal contexts, the phrase auf frischer Tat erwischen can be used, though it remains relatively colloquial by comparison.

In usage, erwi schen typically describes a moment of detection—whether during a crime, a deception, or an ordinary mistake. It can be used literally, as in police reports or eyewitness accounts, or metaphorically, for example to describe discovering a flaw or inconsistency. The tone varies with context: neutral in descriptive prose, and more playful or emphatic in casual conversation or media captions.