Breakdown of Der Betrüger will das Opfer nicht kennen.
nicht
not
kennen
to know (somebody/something)
wollen
to want
der Betrüger
the scammer
Questions & Answers about Der Betrüger will das Opfer nicht kennen.
Why does will translate to "claims" instead of "wants" in this sentence?
This is the subjective use of the modal verb wollen. It is used to show that the subject (Der Betrüger) is making a personal claim about themselves, but the speaker is not confirming if it is actually true. Saying "The scammer wants to not know the victim" wouldn't make much logical sense here!
How can I tell when wollen means "wants" versus "claims"?
Context is your best clue! If the literal meaning "wants to" sounds absurd in the sentence, it is usually this subjective "claims to" meaning. You will frequently see this usage in journalism, police reports, or when discussing a crime, just like with our Betrüger here.
Why is kennen used here instead of wissen for "to know"?
In German, kennen means being acquainted or familiar with a person, place, or object. Because the scammer claims not to know a person (das Opfer), you must use kennen. The verb wissen is only used for knowing facts or pieces of information.
What case is das Opfer in and why?
das Opfer (the victim) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb kennen. Since Opfer is a neuter noun, its accusative article looks completely identical to its nominative one: das.