Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| sehr | /zeːr/ /seːɐ̯/ |
| ganz | /ɡan(t)s/ |
| wahrlich |
The word is used as an adverb to indicate that a quality or state exists to a high degree.
Which one should you use?
While sehr means very, it cannot be used to modify comparative adjectives like better or faster in the same way English does. The word ganz is another option that can mean both quite/fairly and completely/entirely depending on the context, whereas sehr strictly intensifies a quality.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
sehr is an indeclinable adverb, which means it does not change its ending based on the gender, case or number of the noun it relates to.
How do you pronounce it?
/zeːr/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use sehr to mean very much when modifying a verb. However, in German, sehr is an adverb that modifies adjectives or other adverbs, while you should use viel or gern for verbs.
Did you know?
- The German word sehr shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'sore'. They both originate from a root meaning 'to suffer' or 'to be injured'.
- The term wahrlich functions as a much more formal or even archaic way to say 'truly' or 'verily'. It is often used to add a sense of solemnity or truth to a statement.
- To express that you like something 'very much', Germans use sehr gern rather than just sehr.
Examples in context
- Er war sehr arm.He was very poor.This sentence shows how to use sehr to modify an adjective describing a person's financial state.Tatoeba #665648 by samueldora, translation #292549 by CK
- Er ist sehr süß.He's very sweet.This sentence demonstrates the use of sehr to describe a person's temperament.Tatoeba #2042569 by Tamy, translation #2038476 by Spamster
- Es ist sehr neu.It's very new.This sentence illustrates how sehr modifies an adjective describing the age or novelty of an object.Tatoeba #6645026 by Felixjp, translation #3822075 by CK
- 8102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are talking about a movie they watched.
- MaximilianDer Film war sehr spannend.The movie was very exciting.
- SarahJa, ich fand ihn auch sehr gut.Yes, I also thought it was very good.
- MaximilianDie Musik war auch sehr laut.The music was also very loud.
- SarahDas stimmt, sie war sehr laut.That's true, it was very loud.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “very” translations and entries sehr, ganz, wahrlich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ganz, sehr, wahrlich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
