ernsthaft
serious · seriously
Wenn jemand etwas mit viel Aufmerksamkeit und ohne Spaß macht, meint man dieses Wort.
The German word "ernsthaft" is an adjective (and adverb) meaning "serious" or "earnest." It is made of:
- "Ernst": meaning "seriousness" or "gravity."
- "haft": a suffix that turns nouns or adjectives into adjectives meaning "-ful" or "-like" (not a separate root).
Similar words:
- seriös (respectable, serious in character)
- wirklich (real, genuine)
- sachlich (objective, factual)
Differences:
- Ernsthaft emphasizes sincerity and seriousness of intent or nature.
- Seriös often focuses on reliability or respectability, sometimes in business contexts.
- Wirklich stresses reality or truth, not necessarily seriousness.
- Sachlich implies objectivity, less about emotion or intent.
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Examples
Er ist ernsthaft verletzt.adverb
He is seriously injured.
Er betrachtet die Situation ernsthaft.adverb
He is seriously considering the situation.
Er ist jemand, der immer ernsthaft handelt.adverb
He is someone who always acts seriously.
Seine Argumente klingen ernsthaft und überzeugend.adjective
His arguments sound serious and convincing.
Er nimmt seine Aufgaben ernsthaft wahr.adverb
He takes his tasks seriously.
Er nimmt die Situation ernsthaft in Angriff.adverb
He is taking the situation seriously.
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