Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| gut | /ɡuːt/ (standard) /ɡʊt/ (colloquial) |
| schön | /ʃøːn/ |
| angenehm | /ˈʔanɡəˌneːm/ /ˈanɡeˌneːm/ |
The adjective gut is the most basic and versatile way to say "good" in German. When you want to express more enthusiasm, you can use toll (great) or super (super). To describe something as awesome or "class," you might use Klasse.
Which one should you use?
While gut is used in a general sense, schön is used when you mean something is beautiful, lovely or aesthetically pleasing. For a more formal or precise way to describe a pleasant sensation, atmosphere or experience, use angenehm.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Switzerland, the Swiss-German word Guet is used to mean "good".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When the adjective gut is used as a substantive (a noun), it becomes das Gute to mean "the good" or etwas Gutes to mean "something good". Additionally, the noun Gut refers to an item of merchandise.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡuːt/
Did you know?
- The original Proto-Indo-European root of gut actually meant 'to unite, be associated, or suit'.
- The word Gut with a capital 'G' can be a noun referring to an 'estate' or a 'property', rather than just the adjective 'good'.
- In German, when you turn the adjective gut into a noun like das Gute, you must always capitalize it.
Examples in context
- Es war so gut.It was so good.This sentence shows how to use gut to describe a past state.Tatoeba #10246473 by wolfgangth, translation #3824353 by CK
- Ist Tom so gut?Is Tom that good?This sentence uses gut to ask about a person's quality or skill.Tatoeba #3362553 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3360579 by CK
- Das war zu gut!That was too good.This sentence demonstrates the use of gut to express an intensity of quality.Tatoeba #3424568 by Esperantostern, translation #12459439 by sundown
- Das Essen ist gut.The food is good.
- Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.I hope you're doing well.
- Wir hatten eine super Zeit gestern!We had a great time yesterday!
- Das Konzert war toll!The concert was awesome!
- Die neue Band ist klasse!The new band is fantastic!
- Deine Idee ist spitze!Your idea is excellent!
- 6556 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are eating dinner together.
- HannahDas Essen schmeckt wirklich gut.The food tastes really good.
- LukasIch finde es auch sehr gut.I think it is very good too.
- HannahDer Wein ist auch gut.The wine is also good.
- LukasJa, ein sehr guter Abend.Yes, a very good evening.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good” translations and entries gut, schön, angenehm, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries angenehm, gut, schön, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
