peinlich
embarrassing
Causing a feeling of embarrassment, shame, or discomfort.
EXAMPLE
Es war mir furchtbar peinlich, als mein Handy im Theater klingelte.
I was terribly embarrassed when my phone rang in the theater.
peinlich
embarrassing / meticulous
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Meanings
peinlich
meticulous
Extremely precise, overly careful and conscientious. Often in the phrase 'peinlich genau'.
EXAMPLE
Er achtet immer peinlich genau darauf, dass sein Schreibtisch perfekt aufgeräumt ist.
He always makes meticulously sure that his desk is perfectly tidy.
peinlich
penal / torturous
An outdated legal meaning for something connected with corporal punishment or torture.
EXAMPLE
Die „peinliche Befragung“ war im Mittelalter eine Methode, um Geständnisse zu erzwingen.
The 'peinliche Befragung' (interrogation under torture) was a method used in the Middle Ages to force confessions.
Usage tips
Origin from 'Pein'
The word 'peinlich' (embarrassing / meticulous) is derived from 'die Pein' (torment, pain). This explains the old meaning related to torture and also the modern meaning: an embarrassing situation causes a kind of emotional pain.
EXAMPLE
Sein unhöfliches Verhalten war eine Pein für die ganze Familie.
His rude behavior was a torment for the whole family.
Sentence structure with dative
To express for whom a situation is embarrassing, you use the structure 'Es ist + [dative pronoun] + peinlich' (It is embarrassing for [someone]). The subject of the sentence is often 'es' (it).
EXAMPLE
Es war ihm sehr peinlich, dass er den Namen vergessen hatte.
He was very embarrassed that he had forgotten the name.
Fixed expression
In the meaning 'übertrieben sorgfältig' (overly careful), 'peinlich' is almost always used as an intensifier before another adjective such as 'genau' (precise) or 'sauber' (clean). The most common combination is 'peinlich genau' (meticulously precise).
EXAMPLE
Sie achtet peinlich genau auf die Einhaltung der Regeln.
She pays meticulous attention to compliance with the rules.
Context clue
When 'peinlich' stands alone, it almost always means 'unangenehm' (embarrassing / unpleasant). When it stands directly before an adjective such as 'genau' (precise) or 'sauber' (clean), it means 'extrem' (extremely) or 'übertrieben' (excessively).
EXAMPLE
Die Stille im Raum war peinlich.
The silence in the room was embarrassing.
Historical meaning
The meaning 'connected with corporal punishment' is outdated. Today you will find it only in historical texts, often in connection with the legal system of the Middle Ages.
EXAMPLE
Die „peinliche Gerichtsordnung“ regelte schwere Strafverfahren.
The 'peinliche Gerichtsordnung' (penal court ordinance) regulated serious criminal proceedings.
Compare with
peinlich vs verlegen
to move / lay / misplace
Peinlich describes a situation that causes embarrassment or shame. In the meanings given here, verlegen is a verb, however, and means to move something. So use peinlich for your own embarrassed reaction and verlegen for a rescheduled appointment.
peinlich
Nach meinem Versprecher vor allen Gästen war mir die Situation peinlich.
After I misspoke in front of all the guests, I found the situation embarrassing.
verlegen
Wegen meines Versprechers mussten wir den Termin auf morgen verlegen.
Because I misspoke, we had to reschedule the appointment for tomorrow.
In real life
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