The German word for disgrace or shame is die Schande.
Schande in German is a serious, emotionally loaded word. It’s used to describe acts that bring dishonor, or to express deep disappointment. You’ll hear it in moral debates, journalism, and strong personal opinions.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (included in our free illustrated PDF).

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a feminine noun: die Schande.
Need help remembering gender easily? This video lesson teaches you how.

Pronunciation:
Schande is pronounced [SHAN-duh]

• “SHAN” rhymes with “man”

• Ends in soft “duh” like “uh”
  Two syllables: SHAN-duh

Example sentences

Das ist eine Schande für die ganze Familie.

That’s a disgrace to the whole family.

Was für eine Schande!

What a shame!

Er wurde in Schande entlassen.

He was dismissed in disgrace.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Es ist eine Schande, wie sie behandelt wurde."

It’s a shame how she was treated.

"Er hat die Firma in Schande gebracht."

He brought shame to the company.

"Das war keine Kleinigkeit – das war eine Schande!"

That wasn’t a small matter—that was a disgrace!

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Lena: Hast du gehört, was Paul gemacht hat?
Ben: Ja… das ist echt eine Schande.
Lena: Ich hätte das nie von ihm erwartet.
Ben: Ich auch nicht. Total enttäuschend.

Translation:
Lena: Did you hear what Paul did?
Ben: Yeah… that’s really a disgrace.
Lena: I never expected that from him.
Ben: Me neither. So disappointing.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Schande ist groß.

The disgrace is great.

Accusative:
Ich vergesse die Schande nie.

I’ll never forget the disgrace.

Dative:
Mit dieser Schande kann ich nicht leben.

I can’t live with this disgrace.

Genitive:
Die Folgen der Schande sind spürbar.

The consequences of the disgrace are noticeable.

Other ways to say disgrace or shame in German

While Schande is the strongest word for disgrace or shame in German, Scham refers more to personal shame or embarrassment. Blamage can describe a public humiliation, often in humorous or exaggerated tones.

Word variations and tidbits

Common expressions include eine Schande sein (to be a disgrace), in Schande leben (to live in disgrace), jemanden in Schande bringen (to disgrace someone), and Schande über dich! (shame on you!). Literary usage often draws on this word for moral weight.

📘 Duden entry for Schande
🎥 Want to avoid the Schande of weak vocabulary? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns—with examples, clarity, and a printable PDF.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
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