Fremdscham
/ˈfʁɛmtʃaːm/
die
noun
B2
der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)
Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.
Meaning
-
vicarious embarrassment felt because of someone else's actions
Built from fremd (foreign, someone else's) + Scham (shame, embarrassment).
Made of
- fremd foreign, someone else's
- Scham shame, embarrassment
Practice
1 What does Fremdscham mean?
vicarious embarrassment felt because of someone else's actions
2 Fill the gap: Die ___ war kaum auszuhalten, als er auf der Bühne stolperte.
Full sentence: Die Fremdscham war kaum auszuhalten, als er auf der Bühne stolperte. (The secondhand embarrassment was almost unbearable when he tripped on stage.)
3 Which fingerprint chart matches Fremdscham?
Fremdscham: neutral register, common frequency, general domain, neutral connotation.
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