sehr schön
/zeːr ʃøːn/word by word
The English phrase "very nice" is translated into German as sehr schön.
sehr schön is used to describe something that is visually pleasing or of high quality.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sehr (very) and schön (beautiful/nice).
Which one should you use?
While sehr schön describes visual beauty or quality, if you want to describe a person's pleasant or kind personality, you should use sehr nett.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective before a noun, the word schön must take an adjective ending, such as in the phrase sehr schöne Blumen.
How do you pronounce it?
/zeːr ʃøːn/
Did you know?
- The word sehr shares a root with the English word 'sorely'. In Old High German, it originally meant 'injured' or 'sored' before it evolved into an intensifier.
- The word schön is often used as a filler word in phrases like schön langsam, which actually means 'very slowly' or 'take your time'.
- If a German speaker says Schön wärs!, they are not saying something is 'very nice' but are expressing a wish for something that is unlikely to happen.
Examples in context
- Es ist sehr schön hier.It is very nice here.This sentence shows how to describe the environment as being very nice.Tatoeba #1555697 by Esperantostern, translation #6443412 by RudeGuyGames
- Es ist hier sehr schön.This is a very nice place.This sentence is useful for describing a place as being very nice.Tatoeba #12877209 by Waldelfe, translation #12877208 by Yepthatscool
- Dein Haus ist sehr schön.Your house is very nice.This sentence is used to describe a house as being very nice.Tatoeba #11236020 by mborus, translation #4102494 by CK
- Das ist eine sehr schöne Präsentation.That is a very nice presentation.
- Dein neues Auto ist wirklich schön.Your new car is really nice.
- Der Film gestern war echt toll.The movie last night was really great.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- FelixDieses Bild ist sehr schön.This picture is very nice.
- LauraJa, die Farben sind toll.Yes, the colors are great.
- FelixFindest du das auch, Laura?Do you think so too, Laura?
- LauraAbsolut, es ist wunderschön.Absolutely, it is beautiful.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sehr, schön) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries schön, sehr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
