sich verbergen
/zɪç fɛɐ̯ˈbɛʁɡn̩/word by word
To hide (oneself) in German is said as sich verbergen. Wiktionary also lists sich verstecken and sich unsichtbar machen.
Meaning: (intransitive) put oneself in a place where one will be harder to find (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| sich verbergen | /zɪç fɛɐ̯ˈbɛʁɡn̩/ (word by word) |
| sich verstecken | /zɪç fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛkən/ (word by word) |
| sich unsichtbar machen |
These phrases are used to describe the act of putting oneself in a place where one is harder to find.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase sich unsichtbar machen literally means 'to make oneself invisible'.
Which one should you use?
sich verstecken is the most common way to say 'to hide oneself' in everyday German. In contrast, sich verbergen is more formal or literary and is often used in a more abstract or poetic sense.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/zɪç fɛɐ̯ˈbɛʁɡn̩/
Did you know?
- While sich verstecken is used for people, the verb bergen (the root of verbergen) can also mean 'to salvage' or 'to rescue' a ship or cargo.
- The German word machen in sich unsichtbar machen is a distant relative of the English word 'make'. Both trace their origins back to the Proto-Indo-European root *mag-, meaning 'to knead' or 'mix'.
- The verb verstecken is built from the prefix ver- and the word stecken, which means 'to stick' or 'to put'.
Examples in context
- Ich weiß, wo Sie sich verstecken können.I know where you can hide.This sentence is useful for using sich verstecken.Tatoeba #3477592 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2376476 by CK
- Tom wollte sich verstecken, indem er die Augen schloss.Tom tried to hide by covering his eyes.Tatoeba #7220138 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6311892 by Hybrid
- Warum sollten sie sich verstecken?Why should they hide?Tatoeba #3610228 by Jan_Schreiber, translation #3436417 by CK
- Bitte verstecken Sie das DokumentPlease hide the document
- Der Politiker versucht, seine wahren Absichten zu verschleiernThe politician tries to hide his true intentions
- Ich werde mich hier versteckenI will hide here
- Wenn ich gestresst bin, verkrieche ich mich gerne in meinem ZimmerWhen I'm stressed, I like to hide in my room
- Verstecken Sie den GegenstandHide the object
- Wir verstecken unsWe hide ourselves
- Er versteckt das Buch unter dem BettHe hides the book under the bed
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hide” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sich, verbergen, verstecken) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries machen, sich, unsichtbar, verbergen, verstecken, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
