für sich

[fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç]

/[fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç]/ phrase

The verdict

“für sich” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - von anderen Menschen zurückgezogen, um ungestört zu sein; ohne Gesellschaft

Corpus desk

Index DE-fur-sich · für sich · German

für sich · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for für sich
PropertyValue
Headwordfür sich
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç]
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „für sich“ im Deutschen

für sichliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

für sich is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "von anderen Menschen zurückgezogen, um ungestört zu sein; ohne Gesellschaft".

No misspelling variants are generated for für sich in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is für sich, spelled F-Ü-R- -S-I-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    von anderen Menschen zurückgezogen, um ungestört zu sein; ohne Gesellschaft

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how für sich appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Als die Australierin Robyn Davidson in den Siebzigerjahren ihre Wüstendurchquerung durchs Outback ersann, kam es ihr darauf an, ganz allein und für sich zu sein.“
  2. Sag Bescheid, wenn du lieber für dich sein willst!

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "für sich"?
"für sich" is spelled F-Ü-R- -S-I-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is [fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç].
What does "für sich" mean?
As a phrase, "für sich" means: von anderen Menschen zurückgezogen, um ungestört zu sein; ohne Gesellschaft
How do you pronounce "für sich"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "für sich" is [fyːɐ̯ ˈzɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "für sich" come from?
"für sich" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list