01
die Ehre
honor
The standing, good reputation, and respect that a person enjoys in society.
example
Für ihn war es eine Frage der Ehre, sein Versprechen zu halten.
For him, it was a matter of honor to keep his promise.
die Ehre
honor
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Die Ehre' (honor) belongs to a word family with the verb 'ehren' (to honor / show someone respect) and the adjective 'ehrlich' (honest / sincere). This helps you understand the core meaning of standing and respect.
EXAMPLE
Wir ehren unsere Großeltern für ihre Lebenserfahrung.
We honor our grandparents for their life experience.
Polite formula
The expression 'Es ist mir eine (große) Ehre' (It is a great honor for me) is a very common, polite phrase. You use it to express that you feel especially honored by a task or invitation.
EXAMPLE
Es ist mir eine Ehre, Ihr Nachfolger zu sein.
It is an honor for me to be your successor.
Fixed expression with dative
The expression 'zu Ehren von' (in honor of) is a fixed expression that is always used with the preposition 'von' and the dative. It expresses that something is held for a particular person or event.
EXAMPLE
Die Feier wurde zu Ehren des Firmengründers abgehalten.
The celebration was held in honor of the company founder.
Typical collocations
In the sense of 'guter Ruf' (good reputation), 'Ehre' is often used in fixed combinations, for example 'seine Ehre verteidigen' (to defend one's honor), 'die Ehre von jemandem verletzen' (to offend someone's honor), or 'es ist eine Frage der Ehre' (it is a matter of honor).
EXAMPLE
Für den Ritter war es eine Frage der Ehre, sein Wort zu halten.
For the knight, it was a matter of honor to keep his word.
Compare with
Ehre vs Gesicht
face
'das Gesicht' and 'die Ehre' overlap when it comes to standing, respect, and dignity. 'das Gesicht' has this meaning mainly in the expression 'das Gesicht verlieren' (to lose face). This means that someone looks bad in front of others or loses respect. 'die Ehre' is broader and often sounds more serious or solemn. It refers to the respect someone receives or wants to preserve for themselves. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with respect. In practical terms: for the normal body part, you say 'Gesicht'; for dignity and social respect, you are more likely to say 'Ehre', except in fixed expressions like 'das Gesicht verlieren'.
Ehre
Für die Sportlerin war es eine große Ehre, ihr Land zu vertreten.
For the athlete, it was a great honor to represent her country.
Gesicht
Um vor den Gästen nicht das Gesicht zu verlieren, entschuldigte sich Paul sofort.
To avoid losing face in front of the guests, Paul apologized immediately.
In real life
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