sehr schön
/zeːr ʃøːn/word by word
The English phrase 'very pretty' is translated into German as sehr schön.
sehr schön is used to describe someone or something that is highly attractive or pleasing to look at. Beyond physical beauty, it is also frequently used to mean 'very nice' or 'very good' when responding to an action or a situation.
Which one should you use?
While sehr schön can mean 'very beautiful' or 'very lovely', the phrase sehr hübsch is a more direct equivalent to the English 'very pretty' when specifically describing physical attractiveness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending based on the gender and case of the noun it modifies. For example, use sehr schöne for feminine singular or plural nouns in the nominative case and use sehr schöner when modifying a masculine noun in the nominative case, such as in ein sehr schöner Garten (a very beautiful garden).
How do you pronounce it?
/zeːr ʃøːn/
Did you know?
- The word sehr evolved from an Old High German word meaning 'sored' or 'injured'. This is the same root as the English word 'sorely' in the phrase 'sorely missed'.
- The word schön can be used as a 'modal particle' in sentences to soften a request or express a wish, adding a nuance of 'ideally' or 'hopefully' that has nothing to do with beauty.
- In Germany, the phrase sehr schön is often used as a polite filler or a way to signal that one is listening and agrees during a conversation, even if nothing 'beautiful' is being discussed.
Examples in context
- Du bist sehr schön.You're very pretty.This sentence demonstrates the use of sehr schön to describe a person.Tatoeba #748681 by samueldora, translation #863589 by Daga007
- Du hast sehr schöne Augen.You have very pretty eyes.This sentence shows how to use sehr schön when describing eyes.Tatoeba #7908228 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7905846 by Hybrid
- Diese Fotos sind sehr schön!These photos are very pretty!This sentence shows how to use sehr schön to describe photos.Tatoeba #5331146 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4429582 by Bianquita
- Sie sieht heute sehr schön aus.She looks very beautiful today.
- Ihre neue Frisur steht ihr wirklich hübsch.Her new hairstyle looks really lovely on her.
- Du siehst heute total hübsch aus!You look totally pretty today!
- Dein Outfit ist mega schön!Your outfit is super pretty!
- Der neue Nachbar ist richtig attraktiv, findest du nicht?The new neighbor is really attractive, don't you think?
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are looking at a view from a mountain.
- JuliaDie Aussicht hier ist sehr schön.The view here is very pretty.
- FelixJa, sie ist wirklich sehr schön.Yes, it is really very pretty.
- JuliaDu hast recht, Felix.You are right, Felix.
- FelixLass uns ein Foto machen.Let's take a photo.
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.
