leise
quiet
At a low volume; not loud.
EXAMPLE
Könntest du bitte leiser sprechen? Das Baby schläft.
Could you please speak more quietly? The baby is sleeping.
leise
quiet
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Meanings
leise
quietly / softly
In a gentle, barely noticeable, or careful way.
EXAMPLE
Sie schloss leise die Tür, um niemanden zu wecken.
She quietly closed the door so as not to wake anyone.
leise
subtle
In a subtle, not obvious, or only hinted-at way.
EXAMPLE
Es gab leise Zweifel an der Richtigkeit seiner Aussage.
There were subtle doubts about the correctness of his statement.
Usage tips
Adjective and adverb
'Leise' (quiet/quietly) can stand before a noun as an adjective and is then declined. It can also be used as an adverb to describe a verb; in this case, it remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat eine sehr leise Stimme.
She has a very quiet voice.
Use as a request
The comparative form 'leiser' (quieter/more quietly) is very often used in requests or commands in the imperative to reduce the volume.
EXAMPLE
Seid bitte etwas leiser, die Nachbarn beschweren sich schon!
Please be a little quieter; the neighbors are already complaining!
Figurative meaning
In its figurative meaning, 'leise' (subtle) describes something subtle or barely perceptible. Typical collocations are 'leise Kritik' (subtle criticism), 'leise Zweifel' (subtle doubts), or 'eine leise Hoffnung' (a faint hope).
EXAMPLE
Er äußerte nur leise Kritik am neuen Plan.
He expressed only subtle criticism of the new plan.
Compare with
leise vs ruhig
quiet / calm
Both words can describe an environment with little noise. Leise refers specifically to the low volume, while ruhig can additionally express little activity or movement. Use leise for the audible volume and ruhig for a situation that is generally free of disturbance.
leise
Im Lesesaal sprechen die Besucher besonders leise.
The visitors speak especially quietly in the reading room.
ruhig
Am Sonntag ist die Straße vor der Bibliothek besonders ruhig.
The street in front of the library is particularly quiet on Sundays.
In real life
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