sieht sehr gut aus
The English phrase "looks very nice" is translated into German as sieht sehr gut aus.
This phrase is used to express that someone or something has a pleasing appearance. In English, you might use the word "nice" to describe how something looks, but in German, it is more common to use the word gut (good) to convey this meaning.
Which one should you use?
Using gut (good) is the standard way to describe a pleasing physical appearance. In contrast, the German word nett (nice) is typically used to describe a person's pleasant character or personality rather than their looks.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the nuance of the phrase, you can replace gut with schön to say that something looks very beautiful or lovely instead of just "good" (sieht sehr schön aus).
Did you know?
- The word sehr (very) shares a common ancestor with the English word 'sorely'. It originally meant 'injured' or 'sored' before it evolved into an intensifier.
- The verb aussehen (to look) is a separable verb. In a standard sentence, the aus part travels to the very end of the clause, splitting the action of the verb across the sentence.
- In German, the idea of 'looking nice' is expressed as aussehen (looking out). This suggests a visual 'projection' of an image toward the viewer rather than just the act of appearing.
Examples in context
- Dein Outfit sieht heute wirklich sehr schön aus.Your outfit looks really nice today.
- Dein Schmuck ist wirklich hübsch.Your jewelry is really pretty.
- Deine neue Frisur sieht echt gut aus!Your new hairstyle looks really good!
- Das Essen, das du gemacht hast, schaut super aus!The food you cooked looks great!
- Das Bild, das du gemalt hast, ist total schön.The painting you made is really beautiful.
- Das Kleid sieht sehr gut aus.The dress looks very nice.
- Dein neues Auto sieht sehr gut aus.Your new car looks very nice.
- Das Essen sieht sehr gut aus.The food looks very nice.
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are looking at a new painting in an art gallery.
- JulianDieses Bild sieht sehr gut aus.This painting looks very nice.
- HannahJa, die Farben sind toll.Yes, the colors are great.
- JulianSoll ich es für dich kaufen?Should I buy it for you?
- HannahNein, danke, das ist zu teuer.No, thanks, it is too expensive.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aus, gut, sehr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
