gewiss
certain · certainly
Man ist sich über etwas sicher und hat keinen Zweifel daran.
The German word "gewiß" is an adjective meaning "certain" or "sure".
- It is related to the Old High German word giwisser, with the core related to wissen (to know).
- The root is connected to knowledge or certainty in knowing something.
Similar words:
- sicher (safe, certain)
- bestimmt (definite, certain)
- gewiss (modern spelling also used; "certainly" as an adverb)
Differences:
- gewiß (adjective) often emphasizes the state of being sure or certain about a fact.
- sicher can also mean safe or secure.
- bestimmt implies something well-defined or fixed.
- gewiss as an adverb means "certainly" or "indeed", while the adjective gewiß focuses on certainty in description.
Note: "gewiß" is somewhat formal or literary today; in everyday language, "gewiss" (modern spelling) or "sicher" are more common.
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Examples
Er ist gewiss der Beste in der Klasse.adverb
He is certainly the best in the class.
Dein Erfolg ist gewiss, wenn du hart arbeitest.adjective
Your success is certain if you work hard.
Seine Antwort war gewiss nicht ernst gemeint.adverb
His answer was certainly not meant seriously.
Sein Erfolg war ihm gewiss.adjective
His success was certain to him.
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