21 December 2025
How do you say “shy” in German?
The German word for “shy”, the feeling of nervousness around other people, is schüchtern (pronounced /ˈʃʏçtɐn/, with a short ü and the soft ch of ich). Both the English and German words are related, and come from a word meaning “afraid”. The German word is also related to scheuchen (pronounced /ˈʃɔʏçn̩/: eu sounds roughly like “oy,” followed by the soft ch of ich), which still means “to scare away”.
Examples
Er traut sich nicht, mit ihr zu reden. Er ist so schüchtern. He doesn’t dare to speak with her. He is so shy.
Scheu can describe shy or easily startled animals, and it can also describe reserved or timid people (for example, the blinders/blinkers on a horse are called Scheuklappen).
The word eingeschüchtert means “intimidated”.
The German word for “inhibitions” is Hemmungen, and “self-conscious” (or “hampered”) is gehemmt.
Sie hat keine Hemmungen, vor so vielen Menschen zu sprechen. She has no inhibitions about speaking in front of so many people.
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