feeling of guilt
Loading your saved state.
feeling of guilt
The tormenting feeling or awareness of having committed a moral or legal wrongdoing, or of being responsible for something negative.
Obwohl es nicht seine Schuld war, hatte er nach dem Unfall starke Schuldgefühle.
Although it was not his fault, he had strong feelings of guilt after the accident.
The word is a direct compound of 'die Schuld' (guilt/fault) and 'das Gefühl' (feeling). So it describes exactly that: a feeling you have when you believe you are guilty.
Ein tiefes Schuldgefühl machte es ihm unmöglich zu schlafen.
A deep feeling of guilt made it impossible for him to sleep.
Common verbs used with this noun are 'Schuldgefühle haben' (to have feelings of guilt), 'Schuldgefühle entwickeln' (to develop feelings of guilt), or 'von Schuldgefühlen geplagt werden' (to be plagued by feelings of guilt). Adjectives like 'stark' (strong), 'tief' (deep), or 'quälend' (tormenting) describe the intensity.
Er wurde von starken Schuldgefühlen geplagt.
He was plagued by strong feelings of guilt.
Although the singular form 'das Schuldgefühl' (the feeling of guilt) exists, the word is very often used in everyday language in the plural, 'die Schuldgefühle' (feelings of guilt). This emphasizes that the feelings are recurring or complex.
Nach dem Streit hatte sie gemischte Gefühle und auch Schuldgefühle.
After the argument, she had mixed feelings and also feelings of guilt.
guilt / debt
'die Schuld' and 'das Schuldgefühl' are closely related, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Schuld' can be real responsibility for a mistake or a moral wrongdoing. 'Schuldgefühl' means the feeling that you have done something wrong. This feeling can be strong even if the person may not actually be responsible. Learners confuse the words because both have to do with a guilty conscience. In practical terms: 'Schuld' asks about responsibility, while 'Schuldgefühl' asks about the inner feeling.
Nach dem Streit hatte Frau Müller ein starkes Schuldgefühl.
After the argument, Ms. Müller had a strong feeling of guilt.
Die Schuld für den Schaden konnte niemand eindeutig beweisen.
No one could clearly prove who was responsible for the damage.