persönlich
/pɛʁˈzøːnlɪç/
The German phrase for personally is persönlich. Wiktionary also lists personaliter.
Meaning: concerning oneself (adv)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| persönlich | /pɛʁˈzøːnlɪç/ |
| personaliter |
persönlich is an adverb used to mean concerning oneself. When expressing a personal opinion, persönlich is often used as an adverb to emphasize that the statement is a subjective view.
Which one should you use?
The word persönlich can mean both 'personally' (in terms of opinion or feeling) and 'in person' (physically present).
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛʁˈzøːnlɪç/
Did you know?
- In certain dialects of the Hunsrik language, spoken in Brazil, the word persenlich is used, preserving a version of the word that sounds distinct from standard German.
- When someone takes an insult persönlich, a common German cultural response is to advise them not to das zu Herzen nehmen, which literally means 'not to take it to heart'.
- While persönlich means 'in person', Germans often use the phrase in Eigenregie when they want to say they are doing something 'personally' in the sense of taking full control or directing it themselves.
Examples in context
- Kennst du Tom persönlich?Do you know Tom personally?This example shows how to ask if someone has met another person personally using persönlich.Tatoeba #4132153 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1886089 by CK
- Ich kenne sie persönlich.I know her personally.This sentence demonstrates using persönlich to state that you know someone personally.Tatoeba #8242403 by Luiaard, translation #3913965 by CH
- Du nimmst das zu persönlich.You're taking this too personally.This example shows the use of persönlich when someone takes something too personally.Tatoeba #2967070 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2965623 by Hybrid
- Ich persönlich glaube, dass diese Entscheidung die richtige ist.I personally believe that this decision is the right one.
- Für meinen Teil kann ich sagen, dass ich mit den Ergebnissen sehr zufrieden bin.Personally, I can say that I am very satisfied with the results.
- Aus meiner Sicht ist es wichtig, diese Angelegenheit weiter zu untersuchen.From a personal perspective, it is important to further investigate this matter.
- Was mich betrifft, bin ich ganz Ihrer Meinung.Personally, I completely agree with you.
- Für mich klingt das wie eine gute Idee.Personally, that sounds like a good idea to me.
- Ich finde persönlich, dass dieser Vorschlag vielversprechend ist.Personally, I think this proposal is promising.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are discussing a new coworker.
- JulianIch möchte ihn persönlich kennenlernen.I want to get to know him personally.
- HannahDas ist eine gute Idee, Julian.That is a good idea, Julian.
- JulianGlaubst du, er ist nett?Do you think he is nice?
- HannahDas kann ich noch nicht sagen.I cannot say that yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “personally” translations and entries persönlich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries persönlich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
