scheu
shy
Reserved, anxious, or unsure when dealing with other people.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind ist Fremden gegenüber sehr scheu und versteckt sich hinter seiner Mutter.
The child is very shy around strangers and hides behind his mother.
scheu
shy
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Meanings
scheu
skittish
Refers to animals that are wary and flee when humans approach or when there is danger.
EXAMPLE
Die Rehe im Wald sind extrem scheu und laufen sofort weg.
The deer in the forest are extremely skittish and run away immediately.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'scheu' (shy/skittish) belongs to the word family of 'die Scheu' (fear, reserve) and the verb 'etwas scheuen' (to avoid something, to shrink from something).
EXAMPLE
Er hat keine Scheu, seine Meinung offen zu sagen.
He has no fear of stating his opinion openly.
Use with a preposition
'Scheu' (shy/skittish) is often used with the preposition 'vor' and the dative to name the reason for the reserve or fear. One is 'scheu vor' (shy/skittish around or afraid of) someone or something.
EXAMPLE
Viele Wildtiere sind scheu vor Menschen.
Many wild animals are skittish around people.
Context: people and animals
The word is used for both people and animals. With people, it describes a reserved personality; with animals, it describes natural flight behavior.
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein eher scheuer Mensch und steht nicht gern im Mittelpunkt.
He is a rather shy person and doesn't like being the center of attention.
Compare with
scheu vs schüchtern
shy
Schüchtern and scheu can both describe a person who is unsure and reserved when interacting with others. Schüchtern emphasizes embarrassment more, while scheu suggests more strongly avoiding or backing away from contact. Use schüchtern when someone would like to make contact and scheu when they tend to avoid it.
scheu
Die scheue Lena wich dem neuen Nachbarn aus und ging schnell ins Haus.
Timid Lena avoided the new neighbor and quickly went inside.
schüchtern
Die schüchterne Lena lächelte den neuen Nachbarn an, sprach ihn aber nicht an.
Shy Lena smiled at the new neighbor but did not speak to him.
In real life
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