helpless
Loading your saved state.
helpless
Being in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one cannot help oneself and depends on the support of others.
Das kleine Kätzchen saß hilflos auf dem hohen Baum und traute sich nicht herunter.
The little kitten sat helplessly in the tall tree and didn't dare come down.
The adjective 'hilflos' (helpless) is made up of the noun 'Hilfe' (help) and the ending '-los' (-less). The ending '-los' means 'without,' so 'hilflos' literally means 'without help.'
Ohne sein Handy fühlte er sich in der fremden Stadt völlig hilflos.
Without his phone, he felt completely helpless in the unfamiliar city.
'Hilflos' (helpless) is very often combined with the verb 'sich fühlen' (to feel) to describe the emotional state of powerlessness. Another typical combination is 'hilflos sein' (to be helpless).
Als der Strom ausfiel, fühlten sich alle im Dunkeln hilflos.
When the power went out, everyone felt helpless in the dark.
'Hilflos' (helpless) can also be used as an adverb to describe an action. It then expresses that someone does something, or fails to do something, because they have no other option. Typical phrases are 'hilflos zusehen' (to watch helplessly) or 'hilflos mit den Schultern zucken' (to shrug helplessly).
Er konnte nur hilflos zusehen, wie der Bus ohne ihn abfuhr.
He could only watch helplessly as the bus left without him.
self-employed / independent
'selbstständig' and 'hilflos' often stand in clear contrast. Someone who is 'selbstständig' can do something without help and manage on their own. Someone who is 'hilflos' cannot help themselves in a situation or does not know what to do. So 'selbstständig' describes ability and independence, while 'hilflos' describes dependence or not knowing what to do. The difference is especially important with people: a child may already be independent in many things, but still seem helpless in a dangerous situation.
Nach dem Unfall stand ich hilflos am Straßenrand und wusste nicht, wen ich anrufen sollte.
After the accident, I stood helplessly by the side of the road and didn't know whom to call.
Greta arbeitet sehr selbstständig und fragt nur bei großen Problemen nach.
Greta works very independently and only asks for help with major problems.