adjectiveadverb

praktisch

practical

Etwas ist nützlich und gut im Alltag anwendbar. Es macht Dinge einfacher oder bequemer.

Definition & meaning

The word praktisch is a versatile German adjective with several distinct meanings:

  1. Functional or useful: Something that is convenient to use, fits well into everyday life, or serves a clear purpose. For example, a "praktische Tasche" (a practical bag) is one that is designed well and easy to carry.
  2. Applied or hands-on: Referring to something that relates to actual work or application rather than just theory. For example, "praktische Erfahrung" means hands-on experience, and "praktische Arbeit" refers to manual or task-based work as opposed to intellectual or theoretical study.
  3. Virtually or almost: In informal spoken German, it is often used as an adverb to mean "virtually," "essentially," or "practically." For example: "Es ist praktisch unmöglich" (It is practically impossible).

Grammar & Word origin

  • Grammar: It is an adjective that can be used as an adverb or as an attribute (e.g., "ein praktischer Gegenstand").
  • Word origin: It is derived from the Greek word praktikós (doing, active, practical), which comes from the verb práttein (to do, to accomplish). The suffix -isch is a common German adjectival suffix.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • Nützlich (useful)
  • Handlich (handy)
  • Anwendbar (applicable)
  • Realitätsnah (realistic/close to reality)
  • Sozusagen (virtually/as it were - used for the adverbial sense)

Antonyms:

  • Theoretisch (theoretical)
  • Unpraktisch (impractical)
  • Nutzlos (useless)
  • Abstrakt (abstract)

Make “praktisch” part of your vocabulary.

Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Examples

Diese Funktion ist sehr praktisch.adjective

This feature is very practical.

Das Tool ist sehr praktisch im Alltag.adjective

The tool is very practical in everyday life.

Keep exploring German

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).