private
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private
Personal and not intended for the public or for work. It concerns one's own life, family, or home.
Das ist eine private Angelegenheit, über die ich nicht sprechen möchte.
That is a private matter that I don't want to talk about.
The word 'privat' (private) is often used as a direct opposite to other concepts. The most common opposites are 'privat vs. beruflich' (private vs. professional), 'privat vs. öffentlich' (private vs. public), and 'privat vs. staatlich' (private vs. state-run).
Bitte rufen Sie mich nicht wegen beruflicher Dinge auf meiner privaten Nummer an.
Please don't call me about work matters on my private number.
'Privat-' is a very productive component of compound nouns. Examples include 'das Privatleben' (private life), 'die Privatsphäre' (privacy), 'der Privatunterricht' (private lessons), or 'der Privatdetektiv' (private detective).
Er versucht, sein Privatleben aus den Medien herauszuhalten.
He tries to keep his private life out of the media.
In the meaning 'not state-run', 'privat' (private) is often found in the areas of education, business, and health. Typical examples are 'private Schule' (private school), 'privates Unternehmen' (private company), or 'privat versichert' (privately insured).
In Deutschland gibt es sowohl gesetzliche als auch private Krankenversicherungen.
In Germany, there are both statutory and private health insurance plans.
When 'privat' (privately) is used as an adverb, it means 'as a private individual' and not in an official capacity. It then often stands alone after the verb.
Ich bin heute nicht als Bürgermeister hier, sondern rein privat.
I'm not here today as mayor, but purely privately.
four
'unter vier Augen' and 'privat' can both mean that something is not intended for other people. However, 'unter vier Augen' describes a specific conversation situation: only two people are speaking with each other, without any listeners. 'privat' is more general and means that something belongs to personal life or is not public. A conversation can be private, but it is only 'unter vier Augen' if exactly two people are involved.
Nach der Arbeit beantwortet Frau Müller keine privaten Nachrichten mehr.
After work, Ms. Müller no longer answers private messages.
Der Chef möchte das Problem unter vier Augen mit mir besprechen.
The boss wants to discuss the problem with me in private.