nicht wirklich
/nɪçt ˈvɪʁklɪç/word by word
The German phrase for "not really" is nicht wirklich.
nicht wirklich is used as an adverb to express that something is true only to a low degree.
Meaning: to a low degree (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nicht (not) and wirklich (really/actually).
Which one should you use?
While nicht wirklich means "not really", the phrase nicht besonders is often a more natural way to express that something is "not particularly" good or intense.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɪçt ˈvɪʁklɪç/
Did you know?
- The word nicht is a contraction of nio meaning 'never' and wiht meaning 'being' or 'creature'.
- The word wirklich can be used as a standalone exclamation of disbelief, functioning more like 'No way!' than a modifier.
- In casual settings, the skeptical energy of 'not really' is often replaced by a single, sharp sound like nee or nö instead of the full phrase.
Examples in context
- Ich bin nicht wirklich krank.I'm not really sick.This sentence shows how to use nicht wirklich to describe a state of health.Tatoeba #10091300 by wolfgangth, translation #5958455 by CK
- Ich bin nicht wirklich sauer.I'm not really angry.This sentence shows how to use nicht wirklich to describe an emotion like anger.Tatoeba #10108845 by wolfgangth, translation #2547709 by CK
- Es tut mir nicht wirklich leid.I'm not really that sorry.This sentence shows how to use nicht wirklich to express the degree of an apology.Tatoeba #5338996 by Sudajaengi, translation #4983581 by CK
- Nicht wirklich. Ich bin im Moment ziemlich beschäftigt.Not really. I'm quite busy at the moment.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are talking about a new movie.
- JuliaWar der Film gut?Was the movie good?
- LukasEr war nicht wirklich spannend.It wasn't really exciting.
- JuliaDas ist schade, Lukas.That's a shame, Lukas.
- LukasJa, ich bin nicht wirklich zufrieden.Yes, I'm not really satisfied.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (nicht, wirklich) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nicht, wirklich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
