verschlossen

reserved

adjective fer-SHLOS-en Less Common

Origin: past participle of verschließen (to lock)

Also means

locked

Usage Note

verschlossen describes a guarded, uncommunicative person, the opposite of aufgeschlossen. Its literal sense is 'locked': eine verschlossene Tür. Of people it suggests someone who keeps feelings to themselves, neither warm nor hostile.

Examples

"Als Kind war er sehr schüchtern und verschlossen."

Natural Translation

As a child he was very shy and reserved.

Literal Translation

As child was he very shy and reserved.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read