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Prepositions after adjectives

humble with different prepositions

Humble about and humble in are common in specific contexts. Humble of appears mainly in the pattern humble of someone to do something.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after humble?

Use humble about when talking about achievements or abilities. Use humble in to describe behaviour in a situation or area. Humble of is mainly used in expressions such as It was humble of him to apologise.

She stayed humble about her success.
He was humble in victory.
It was humble of her to thank the whole team.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
humble about + achievement

Talking about success modestly

Humble about is used when someone does not boast about achievements or qualities.

Despite the award, she remained humble about her work.
He is very humble about his talent.
2
humble in + situation

Describing modest behaviour in a context

Humble in refers to behaviour within a situation, role, or activity.

The coach stayed humble in defeat.
She remained humble in public discussions.
3
humble of + person + to infinitive

Commenting on a person's modest action

Humble of someone to do something comments on their attitude or behaviour.

It was humble of him to admit the mistake.
That was humble of her to share the credit.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
humble about
She is humble about her achievements.
not proud or boastful about something
humble in
He was humble in victory.
showing modesty in a situation
humble of
It was humble of them to apologise publicly.
describing a modest action by someone
humble with
She was humble with the new staff.
with here refers to interaction, not a fixed adjective pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using humble of before a noun only

Humble of usually appears with a person and an infinitive.

✕ She is humble of her success. ✓ She is humble about her success.

Confusing humble about and proud of

Humble about means modest, not proud.

✕ He was humble about winning and celebrated loudly. ✓ He was humble about winning and avoided boasting.

Using humble in for achievements

Use humble about for achievements or abilities.

✕ She is humble in her talent. ✓ She is humble about her talent.

Forgetting the infinitive after humble of

The structure usually includes to plus verb.

✕ It was humble of him. ✓ It was humble of him to apologise.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She stayed ___ her promotion.
2. He remained ___ victory.
3. It was ___ her to thank the interns.

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Frequently asked questions

Is humble about correct?

Yes. It means not boasting about achievements, qualities, or success.

When do we use humble of?

Use it mainly in patterns like It was humble of him to apologise.

Can I say humble in success?

Yes. Humble in success or humble in victory are natural expressions.

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