adverbconjunction

teils

partly

Dieses Wort beschreibt, dass etwas nur zu einem gewissen Anteil oder in bestimmten Teilen zutrifft, aber nicht vollständig.

Definition & meaning

teils is an adverb meaning partly, in part, or somewhat. It indicates that something applies only to a portion of a situation, group, or object.

It is often used in the structure teils … teils …, meaning partly … partly …, some … others …, or both … and ….

Examples:

Der Film war teils spannend, teils langweilig.
“The film was partly exciting and partly boring.”
Die Gäste kamen teils mit dem Auto, teils mit dem Zug.
“Some guests came by car, while others came by train.”
Das erklärt sich teils durch Zeitmangel.
“This is partly explained by a lack of time.”

Grammar & Word origin

teils is an adverb and does not change according to case, gender, or number.

It comes from Teil , meaning “part.” Historically, the ending -s gives it an adverbial form, comparable to expressions such as nachts (“at night”) and tags (“during the day”).

The related adjective/adverb teilweise is generally interchangeable with teils, although teils … teils … is especially common when contrasting two or more parts.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

teilweise — “partly” or “partially”; the most direct synonym and often slightly more neutral or formal.
zum Teil — literally “to a part”; very common and usually interchangeable with teils.
stellenweise — “in places” or “in some sections”; used when something applies only to certain locations or sections.
manchmal — “sometimes”; this is not a complete synonym, because it refers to time or frequency rather than only a part of something.

Antonyms

ganz — “entirely” or “completely”; indicates that something applies as a whole rather than only partly.
vollständig — “completely” or “fully”; emphasizes completeness.
gänzlich — “entirely” or “wholly”; more formal and emphatic.
völlig — “completely” or “totally”; often stronger in emphasis than teils.