unschuldig
innocent
Not guilty in the sense of an accusation, crime, or offense.
EXAMPLE
Der Angeklagte plädierte auf unschuldig und wurde am Ende freigesprochen.
The defendant pleaded innocent and was eventually acquitted.
unschuldig
innocent
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Meanings
unschuldig
innocent
Naive, unsuspecting, and inexperienced with the negative sides of life, especially in relation to malice or sexuality.
EXAMPLE
Mit ihrem kindlichen Lächeln wirkte sie völlig unschuldig.
With her childlike smile, she seemed completely innocent.
unschuldig
innocent
Harmless and without bad intent; not meant to hurt or offend anyone.
EXAMPLE
Es war nur ein unschuldiger Scherz, ich wollte dich nicht ärgern.
It was just an innocent joke; I didn't mean to annoy you.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is built simply: the prefix 'un-' negates the adjective 'schuldig' (guilty). Someone who is 'unschuldig' (innocent) is therefore 'nicht schuldig' (not guilty).
EXAMPLE
Das kleine Kind schaute mich mit einem unschuldigen Lächeln an.
The little child looked at me with an innocent smile.
Context clues
The context shows the exact meaning. In the legal field (court, police), it means 'not guilty'. In a social context, it often describes a naive person (child) or a harmless action (joke).
EXAMPLE
Der Angeklagte beteuerte, er sei unschuldig.
The defendant insisted that he was innocent.
Use with 'an'
In the legal meaning, the preposition 'an' with the dative is often used to say what someone is innocent of. The structure is: 'unschuldig an etwas sein' (to be innocent of something).
EXAMPLE
Er ist unschuldig an diesem Verbrechen.
He is innocent of this crime.
Compare with
unschuldig vs naiv
naive
Both words can describe a question or action without bad intentions. Naiv, however, emphasizes a lack of experience or excessive trust, while unschuldig mainly says that nothing hurtful or malicious is intended. Use naiv for a person's attitude and unschuldig for a harmless intention.
unschuldig
Seine Frage war unschuldig gemeint und sollte niemanden verletzen.
His question was meant innocently and was not intended to hurt anyone.
naiv
Seine naive Frage zeigte, dass er noch wenig Erfahrung mit solchen Problemen hatte.
His naive question showed that he still had little experience with problems like these.
In real life
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