Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| klug | /kluːk/ /kluːx/ |
| clever | [ˈklɛvɐ] (narrow) |
| gewitzt |
All these terms describe someone who shows clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
Which one should you use?
While klug is the general term for being smart or wise, gewitzt specifically captures a 'shrewd' or 'witty' nuance of being clever in a practical or street-smart way. The German word clever is a loanword from English and is used similarly, but it often carries a slightly more superficial or 'tricky' connotation compared to the more neutral klug.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, gewitzt must take appropriate endings (such as -e, -er, -es, -en) to agree with the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies. To form the comparative degree, gewitzt follows standard rules by adding the suffix -er to become gewitzter.
How do you pronounce it?
/kluːk/
Did you know?
- The word gewitzt shares a conceptual root with the idea of a 'joke' or 'wit', linking the ability to be shrewd with the ability to be humorous.
- The term klug has close linguistic cousins in Old Norse and Dutch, showing that the concept of being 'shrewd' has shared roots across ancient Germanic seafaring cultures.
Examples in context
- Er ist ein kluger Geschäftsmann.He is a shrewd businessman.
- Sie ist echt gerissen.She is really shrewd.
- Das war eine kluge Entscheidung.That was a shrewd decision.
- Sie hat eine kluge Strategie entwickelt.She developed a shrewd strategy.
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are discussing a recent business deal.
- LauraDein Plan war wirklich sehr klug.Your plan was really very shrewd.
- FelixDanke, ich habe viel darüber nachgedacht.Thanks, I thought about it a lot.
- LauraDas hat sich am Ende ausgezahlt.It paid off in the end.
- FelixJa, das ist das Wichtigste.Yes, that is the most important thing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shrewd” translations and entries klug, clever, gewitzt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries clever, klug, CC BY-SA 4.0.
