die Intimität
intimacy
A state of great emotional closeness, familiarity, and connection between people.
EXAMPLE
Für eine tiefe Freundschaft sind Vertrauen und Intimität unerlässlich.
Trust and intimacy are essential for a deep friendship.
die Intimität
intimacy
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Meanings
die Intimität
privacy / intimacy
A private, personal, and undisturbed atmosphere or sphere.
EXAMPLE
Das kleine Restaurant bot die nötige Intimität für ein romantisches Abendessen.
The small restaurant offered the necessary intimacy for a romantic dinner.
die Intimität
intimacies
Refers to physical, especially sexual, closeness between people. Often used in the plural ('Intimitäten').
EXAMPLE
Er war nicht bereit, in der Öffentlichkeit über die Intimitäten seiner Beziehung zu sprechen.
He was not willing to speak publicly about the intimacies of his relationship.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Intimität' (intimacy) is an abstract noun derived from the adjective 'intim' (intimate). The ending '-ität' is often used with loanwords of Latin origin to indicate a state or quality.
EXAMPLE
Sie führen eine sehr intime Beziehung.
They have a very intimate relationship.
Context clue
To distinguish the meanings, pay attention to the context. If 'Intimität' (intimacy) refers to a relationship between people, it usually means emotional closeness. If it describes a place or situation, it is about a private, undisturbed atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
Intimität ist ein wichtiger Teil ihrer langjährigen Freundschaft.
Intimacy is an important part of their long-standing friendship.
Typical collocations
When it is about emotional closeness, 'Intimität' (intimacy) is often combined with verbs such as 'schaffen' (to create), 'zulassen' (to allow), or 'herstellen' (to establish). It frequently appears together with words like 'Vertrauen' (trust), 'Nähe' (closeness), and 'Geborgenheit' (security).
EXAMPLE
Manche Menschen haben Angst davor, echte Intimität zuzulassen.
Some people are afraid of allowing real intimacy.
Use in the plural
When the plural form 'Intimitäten' (intimacies) is used, the word almost always refers to physical or sexual acts. A typical phrase is 'Intimitäten austauschen' (to exchange intimacies).
EXAMPLE
Das Paar wurde beobachtet, als es Intimitäten austauschte.
The couple was observed exchanging intimacies.
Compare with
Intimität vs Nähe
closeness / proximity
Nähe generally refers to a close emotional relationship. Intimität means a particularly familiar kind of closeness that also involves a private and personal atmosphere. Nähe is suitable for general connectedness; when people share very personal things with each other undisturbed, Intimität is a better fit.
Intimität
Im ungestörten Gespräch über ihre tiefsten Ängste entstand zwischen den beiden Freunden eine besondere Intimität.
As the two friends talked undisturbed about their deepest fears, a special intimacy developed between them.
Nähe
Durch die offenen Gespräche entstand zwischen den beiden Freunden eine große Nähe.
The two friends developed a strong sense of closeness through their open conversations.
In real life
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