verschwiegen

discreet, tight-lipped

adjective fer-SHVEE-gen Rare

Also means

secretive

Usage Note

Verschwiegen describes someone who keeps secrets reliably and does not gossip. It is positive in the sense of trustworthiness: verschwiegen wie ein Grab (silent as the grave). Contrast the negative geheimnistuerisch (making a mystery of things).

Examples

"Der verschwiegene Anwalt verriet nie Einzelheiten über seine Mandanten."

Natural Translation

The discreet lawyer never revealed details about his clients.

Literal Translation

The discreet lawyer never betrayed details about his clients.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 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 Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read