trustworthy
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trustworthy
Such that one can trust a person, information, or institution; reliable, honest, and credible.
Für den Artikel habe ich nur vertrauenswürdige Quellen aus der Wissenschaft verwendet.
For the article, I used only trustworthy sources from the scientific community.
The adjective is made up of the noun 'das Vertrauen' (trust), the linking -s, and the adjective 'würdig' (worthy). So it literally means 'worthy of trust' or 'worthy of being trusted.'
Ein guter Freund sollte ehrlich und vertrauenswürdig sein.
A good friend should be honest and trustworthy.
The adjective often describes people ('ein vertrauenswürdiger Kollege' — a trustworthy colleague), sources of information ('eine vertrauenswürdige Studie' — a trustworthy study), or institutions ('eine vertrauenswürdige Organisation' — a trustworthy organization).
Die Polizei sucht einen vertrauenswürdigen Zeugen.
The police are looking for a trustworthy witness.
Besides direct description, 'vertrauenswürdig' (trustworthy) is often used in fixed phrases. Typical ones are 'als vertrauenswürdig gelten' (to be considered trustworthy), 'sich als vertrauenswürdig erweisen' (to prove to be trustworthy), or 'jemanden/etwas für vertrauenswürdig halten' (to consider someone/something trustworthy).
Der neue Mitarbeiter hat sich schnell als vertrauenswürdig erwiesen.
The new employee quickly proved to be trustworthy.
honest
'ehrlich' and 'vertrauenswürdig' both describe people or information that one can believe. 'ehrlich' mainly emphasizes that someone tells the truth and does not lie or cheat. 'vertrauenswürdig' is somewhat broader: you can rely on a person, a source, or an institution. Learners may confuse the words because honesty is an important reason for trust. But someone can be honest without you immediately giving them a lot of responsibility. 'ehrlich' fits especially when talking about truth and character, while 'vertrauenswürdig' is more about trust, safety, and reliability.
Für die Reparatur suchen wir einen vertrauenswürdigen Handwerker aus der Nachbarschaft.
For the repair, we are looking for a trustworthy craftsperson from the neighborhood.
Clara ist ehrlich und sagt sofort, wenn sie einen Fehler gemacht hat.
Clara is honest and says right away when she has made a mistake.