harmlos
harmless
Not dangerous or harmful to someone or something.
EXAMPLE
Die Spinne sieht zwar groß aus, ist aber völlig harmlos.
The spider may look big, but it is completely harmless.
harmlos
harmless
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Meanings
harmlos
harmless
Refers to a matter, joke, or remark that is insignificant, trivial, or not meant seriously.
EXAMPLE
Es war nur eine harmlose Neckerei, du musst dich nicht aufregen.
It was just harmless teasing; you don't need to get upset.
harmlos
harmless
Describes a person who is naive, inexperienced, or guileless and has no bad intentions.
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein harmloser Kerl, der keiner Fliege etwas zuleide tun könnte.
He is a harmless guy who wouldn't hurt a fly.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective is made up of the old word 'Harm' (grief, harm) and the ending '-los' (without). Something that is 'harmlos' (harmless) is therefore literally 'without harm'.
EXAMPLE
Zum Glück war der Unfall harmlos und niemand wurde verletzt.
Fortunately, the accident was harmless and no one was injured.
Meaning in context
The exact meaning of 'harmlos' (harmless) depends heavily on the noun. In relation to things or animals, it means 'ungefährlich' (not dangerous); with statements, 'belanglos' (trivial); and with people, 'gutmütig' (good-natured) or 'naiv' (naive).
EXAMPLE
Die Chemikalie ist in kleinen Mengen harmlos.
The chemical is harmless in small amounts.
Typical intensifiers
When danger is involved, 'harmlos' (harmless) is often intensified with adverbs such as 'völlig' (completely), 'absolut' (absolutely), or 'vergleichsweise' (comparatively) to emphasize the lack of danger.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt versicherte mir, dass der Eingriff völlig harmlos sei.
The doctor assured me that the procedure was completely harmless.
Use for statements
In the context of communication, 'harmlos' (harmless) often describes a question, joke, or remark that is not meant to hurt or provoke.
EXAMPLE
Es war doch nur eine harmlose Frage, nimm es nicht persönlich.
It was just a harmless question; don't take it personally.
Compare with
harmlos vs naiv
naive
Naiv and harmlos can both describe a person without bad intentions. Naiv, however, emphasizes that the person trusts too easily or believes things uncritically. Harmlos, by contrast, focuses on the fact that the person poses no danger and has no bad intentions.
harmlos
Der neue Nachbar ist harmlos und will niemandem etwas Böses.
The new neighbor is harmless and does not want to hurt anyone.
naiv
Der neue Nachbar ist naiv und glaubt jedes Versprechen sofort.
The new neighbor is naive and immediately believes every promise.
In real life
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