German Shame & Guilt Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of shame, guilt, and the queasy feeling in between, from the everyday peinlich (embarrassing) and verlegen (embarrassed) to heavier words like die Schande (disgrace) and die Demütigung (humiliation). One trap for English speakers: die Schuld covers both moral guilt and financial debt, so schuldig can mean either guilty or simply owing someone money, and English splits these into separate words where German doesn't.
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All 20 words
- verlegenA2
embarrassed
Sie wurde verlegen und errötete leicht. — She became embarrassed and blushed slightly.
- bereuenB1
to regret
Ich bereue meine Entscheidung sehr. — I deeply regret my decision.
shameful, humiliating
Das war ein beschämendes Verhalten von ihm. — That was shameful behavior from him.
plural: die Gewissen
conscience
Ich habe deinen Geburtstag vergessen. Ich habe ein ganz schlechtes Gewissen. — I forgot your birthday. I feel very guilty.
- peinlichB1
embarrassing, awkward
Das muss dir nicht peinlich sein. — You don't need to feel embarrassed about that.
plural: die Schulden
fault, guilt
Es ist nicht meine Schuld, dass das nicht geklappt hat. — It is not my fault that it didn't work out.
- schuldigB1
guilty, owing
Was bin ich Ihnen schuldig? – 50 Euro, bitte. — What do I owe you? – 50 euros, please.
repentance / penitence
Echte Buße zeigt sich durch geänderte Handlungen. — True repentance shows itself through changed actions.
plural: die Demütigungen
indignity / humiliation
Die Demütigung durch öffentliche Kritik war schmerzhaft. — The humiliation from public criticism was painful.
plural: die Erniedrigungen
humiliation / degradation / abasement
Die Erniedrigung war für ihn unerträglich. — The humiliation was unbearable for him.
remorse / pangs of conscience
Gewissensbisse plagten ihn die ganze Nacht. — Remorse plagued him all night.
plural: die Kränkungen
an offense / injury / insult
Diese Kränkung konnte er nie vergessen. — He could never forget this insult.
plural: die Reuen
repentance / remorse / regret
Sein Gewissen plagte ihn mit Reue. — His conscience tormented him with remorse.
shame / embarrassment
Tiefe Scham erfüllte ihn nach seinem Fehler. — Deep shame filled him after his mistake.
plural: die Schanden
disgrace / shame / dishonor
Die Schande der Familie war unbeschreiblich. — The dishonor of the family was indescribable.
plural: die Blamagen
disgrace (wenig benutzt)
Eine solche Blamage konnte er nicht ertragen. — Such a disgrace he could not endure.
- reumütigC1
remorseful
Mit reumütiger Haltung bat er um Vergebung. — With a remorseful attitude, he asked for forgiveness.
plural: die Schmachen
shame / disgrace / ignomy (wenig benutzt)
Die Schmach seiner Familie war groß. — The disgrace of his family was great.
shameful / humiliating
Seine schmähliche Niederlage beschämte ihn sehr. — His humiliating defeat shamed him greatly.
inexcusable / indefensible
Sein unentschuldbares Verhalten verdient Strafe. — His inexcusable behavior deserves punishment.
How to learn this set
Nine of these nouns are feminine, so before you even learn the word you can guess "die": die Scham, die Schande, die Schuld, die Schmach, die Kränkung, die Reue, die Buße, die Demütigung, die Erniedrigung. Group them by sound and meaning instead of memorizing one by one: Scham/Schande/Schmach are near-rhymes with overlapping meanings of shame and disgrace, while Demütigung and Erniedrigung both describe humiliation inflicted by someone else, one from Mut (spirit, courage) being crushed, the other from niedrig (low). For the adjectives, drill beschämend, schmählich and unentschuldbar together since they all describe an act from the outside, and keep verlegen and reumütig separate since those describe an inner state of the person themselves.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Scham and Schuld in German?
Die Scham is the feeling of shame, the hot-faced sense that others see you badly. Die Schuld is guilt or fault, tied to having actually done something wrong, and it's also the everyday word for a debt you owe. You can have Scham without Schuld, and Schuld without Scham.
What does peinlich mean in German?
Peinlich means embarrassing or awkward, describing a situation or moment, like an awkward silence at dinner. It's not used for a person's character the way 'embarrassing' sometimes is in English; for how a person feels, German uses verlegen (embarrassed).
Is Blamage a common German word?
No, die Blamage is a bit dated and shows up more in written or formal contexts than in casual speech. Germans are more likely to say it was peinlich or eine Schande than to reach for Blamage in conversation.
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