The German word for “shy”, the feeling of nervousness around other people, is “schüchtern” (sounds like ‘shishtun’). Both the English and German words are related, and come from a word meaning “afraid”. The German word is also related to “scheuchen” (pronounced like ‘shoyshn’), which still means “to scare away”.

– “Er traut sich nicht mit ihr zu reden. Er ist so schüchtern.” – “He doesn’t dare to speak with her. He is so shy.”

The word “scheu” is used for animals that are afraid of humans, bashful, or easily startled (for example, the blinders/blinkers on a horse are called “Scheuklappen”). The word “eingeschüchtert” means “intimidated”.

The German word for “inhibitions” is “Hemmungen”, and “self-conscious” (or “hampered”) is “gehemmt”:

“Sie hat keine Hemmungen vor so vielen Menschen zu sprechen.” – “She has no inhibitions to speak in front of so many people.”