German Conversation · Level 37
75 words
German word
unsicher
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʊnzɪçɐ/
Meaning
- adjectiveinsecure
Example
Vor dem Gespräch fühle ich mich unsicher.
I feel insecure before the conversation.
More examples
In Meetings wirke ich manchmal unsicher, wenn ich die Antwort nicht kenne.
In meetings, I sometimes look insecure when I don't know the answer.
Core concept
A person stands at a crossroads, unable to choose and lacking inner steadiness.
Common phrases
sich unsicher fühlen
feel insecure
unsicher wirken
look insecure
Similar words
unschlüssig: Unable to decide which choice to make.
zweifelnd: Holding doubts and unable to fully trust or believe something.
verunsichert: Made anxious and less confident by outside events or words.
Definition in German
in sich nicht gefestigt; zögernd im Urteil oder Verhalten
Word origin
Unsicher combines the negating prefix un- with sicher, a German word borrowed from Latin securus and associated with safety and certainty.
Usage tips
- In Ich bin unsicher, the word often describes personal hesitation or lack of confidence, while an uncertain fact is often expressed more precisely with ungewiss or unklar.
Other meanings
- uncertainadjective
Opposites
- sicherconfidentadjective
- zuversichtlichoptimisticadjective
Related words
- Unsicherheitinsecuritynoun
- Unsicherheitsgefühlfeeling of insecuritynoun