bescheiden
/bəˈʃaɪ̯dən/
The English word humble can be translated into German as bescheiden or demütig.
Meaning: thinking lowly of oneself (adj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| bescheiden | /bəˈʃaɪ̯dən/ |
| demütig | /ˈdeːmytɪç/ /ˈdeːmytɪk/ |
bescheiden is the standard word used to describe a person's character as being modest or not showy. It is used for someone who is modest and does not boast about their achievements.
Which one should you use?
bescheiden is a positive or neutral term used for modesty. In contrast, while bescheiden describes a person's character, the related verb demütigen or the adjective erniedrigend refers to the negative act of humiliating someone.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/bəˈʃaɪ̯dən/
Did you know?
- The term bescheiden can also function as a verb meaning 'to notify' or 'to let someone know', completely unrelated to modesty.
- The adjective bescheiden actually functions as a grammatical fossil, originating from a past participle that originally meant 'to assign' or 'to decide'.
- Demütig carries a stronger connotation of submission or subservience than the English 'humble', often implying a lower social or spiritual rank.
Examples in context
- Tom ist sehr bescheiden.Tom is very humble.This sentence is useful for describing someone else's character using bescheiden.Tatoeba #2697638 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2699026 by CK
- Du bist sehr bescheiden.You're very humble.Tatoeba #7590745 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7682211 by deniko
- Ich bin sehr bescheiden.I'm very humble.This sentence is useful for describing your own character using bescheiden.Tatoeba #8172282 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5856416 by CK
- Sie hat eine außergewöhnliche BescheidenheitShe has an exceptional humility
- Er zeigt Demut gegenüber seinen VorgesetztenHe shows humility towards his superiors
- Die Bescheidenheit des Künstlers beeindruckt michThe humility of the artist impresses me
- Seine Demut ist bewundernswertHis humbleness is admirable
- Er ist ein sehr bescheidener MenschHe is a very humble person
- Ich schätze seine erdverbundene PersönlichkeitI appreciate his down-to-earth personality
- Er ist ein Prominenter ohne StarallürenHe is a celebrity without any airs
- Er bleibt immer ohne Starallüren, egal wie berühmt er wirdHe always stays humble, no matter how famous he becomes
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are talking about a mutual friend's success.
- LauraSie ist trotz ihres Erfolgs sehr bescheiden.She is very humble despite her success.
- FelixJa, sie redet nie über ihre Siege.Yes, she never talks about her victories.
- LauraDas macht sie sehr sympathisch.That makes her very likable.
- FelixIch bewundere diese bescheidenen Menschen.I admire those humble people.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “humble” translations and entries bescheiden, demütig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bescheiden, demütig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
