German word

privat

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁiˈvaːt/

Meaning

  • adjectivepersonal

Example

Das ist ein privates Gespräch.

This is a personal conversation.

Illustration for privat (personal)

More examples

Er schickte eine private E-Mail an seine Kollegin.

He sent a personal email to his colleague.

Core concept

A door closed to the public protects a person's own time, affairs, or conversation without necessarily implying secrecy.

Common phrases

  • privates Gespräch

    private conversation

  • privater Bereich

    private area

  • private E-Mail

    personal email

Similar words

persönlich: Tied directly to an individual's experiences, feelings, or life.
geschäftlich: Connected with business, employment, or professional matters.
vertraulich: Restricted to selected recipients because its content needs careful handling.

Definition in German

Persönlich; nicht für die Öffentlichkeit oder für dienstliche Zwecke bestimmt.

Word origin

German privat is based on Latin privatus, formed from privare, 'to set apart', and preserves the idea of something separated from public or official use.

Usage tips

  • For information explicitly treated as confidential, vertraulich is more precise than privat; privat can simply mean nonpublic or unrelated to work.

Other meanings

  • privateadjective
  • confidentialadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Privatunterrichtprivate lessonsnoun
  • Privatbesitzprivate propertynoun

Word lists with this word