Geheimnis
/ɡəˈhaɪmnɪs/neuter
The German word for 'secret' (noun) is Geheimnis.
Geheimnis refers to knowledge that is hidden. To indicate a confidential conversation between only two people, you can use the phrase Unter vier Augen (literally 'under four eyes'). If you want to promise that information stays between you and the listener, you can say Das bleibt unter uns, which means 'That stays between us'.
Meaning: knowledge that is hidden (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun Geheimnis is formed by combining the adjective geheim (secret) with the suffix -nis, which is used to create nouns.
Which one should you use?
Use the adjective geheim to describe something as being secret, whereas Geheimnis is the noun used for the secret itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Geheimnis is Geheimnisse.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈhaɪmnɪs/
Did you know?
- When someone reveals a Geheimnis prematurely, Germans say they have aus dem Nähkästchen geplaudert, which literally means 'chattered out of the sewing box'.
- The word geheim is the root for the word Geheimdienst, which is the German term for an 'intelligence service' or 'secret service'.
- The word Geheimnis shares its roots with the Yiddish word geheymenish, showing how secrets have been passed through Central European Jewish and Germanic linguistic traditions.
Examples in context
- Es ist ein Geheimnis.It's a secret.This sentence is useful for stating that something is a Geheimnis.Tatoeba #453828 by al_ex_an_der, translation #433821 by CK
- Es war ein Geheimnis.It was a secret.Tatoeba #8496250 by Luiaard, translation #2549495 by CK
- Es ist kein Geheimnis.It's not a secret.Tatoeba #1796266 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1795651 by Spamster
- Die Unterhaltung in der Direktorenkonferenz war voller streng gehüteter Geheimnisse.The conversation in the board of directors' meeting was full of closely guarded secrets.
- Bitte respektieren Sie die Vertraulichkeit dieser Informationen.Please respect the confidentiality of this information.
- 313 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are sitting in a quiet cafe.
- LukasKannst du mir dein Geheimnis verraten?Can you tell me your secret?
- HannahNein, das ist ein großes Geheimnis.No, that is a big secret.
- LukasWarum behältst du dieses Geheimnis für dich?Why are you keeping this secret to yourself?
- HannahIch möchte noch nicht darüber sprechen.I don't want to talk about it yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “secret” translations and entries Geheimnis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geheimnis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
