verlegen
/fɛɐˈleːɡən/
The English word "embarrassed" is translated into German as verlegen.
verlegen is an adjective used to describe a person who is experiencing a feeling of shameful discomfort.
Meaning: Having a feeling of shameful discomfort (adj)
Which one should you use?
verlegen is used to describe the person who feels the emotion, whereas peinlich is used to describe the situation that causes the embarrassment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective verlegen is related to the noun die Verlegenheit, which means "the embarrassment".
How do you pronounce it?
/fɛɐˈleːɡən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Ich bin peinlich when you mean you feel embarrassed. In German, this actually means "I am an embarrassing person".
Did you know?
- The word verlegen traces its roots back to the concept of being 'sluggish' or even 'adulterous' in Old High German.
- The word verlegen can also mean 'to publish' a book or 'to misplace' an object. In these contexts, it has nothing to do with feeling embarrassed.
- The verb verlegen can also mean 'to postpone' or 'to move' an appointment to a different time.
Examples in context
- Tom war sehr verlegen.Tom was very embarrassed.This sentence shows how to describe a person as being very embarrassed using verlegen.Tatoeba #7592146 by wolfgangth, translation #2644759 by CK
- Mennad ist nicht verlegen.Mennad isn't embarrassed.This sentence uses verlegen to state that someone is not embarrassed.Tatoeba #11932190 by Naina, translation #8007662 by OsoHombre
- Alle waren in großer Verlegenheit.Everyone was very embarrassed.This sentence uses the noun form related to verlegen to describe a state of great embarrassment.Tatoeba #2918230 by Manfredo, translation #11910093 by sundown
- Ich entschuldige mich für meine VerlegenheitI apologize for my embarrassment
- Die Situation bereitet mir große BeschämungThe situation causes me great embarrassment
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about a mistake Lukas made at a party.
- LukasIch war gestern Abend wirklich sehr verlegen.I was really very embarrassed last night.
- HannahWarum denn? Niemand hat etwas bemerkt.Why? Nobody noticed anything.
- LukasIch habe dein Glas umgestoßen, Hannah.I knocked over your glass, Hannah.
- HannahAch, das ist doch überhaupt nicht schlimm!Oh, that is not bad at all!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “embarrassed” translations and entries verlegen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries verlegen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
