Scale

völlig totally, sehr very, ziemlich fairly, relativ relatively.

Collocation

Some intensifiers pair better with certain adjectives — collect chunks from reading.

understatement

ganz okay, nicht schlecht — soft opinions.

Practice

Rewrite the same review sentence at three different intensity levels.

Practical Examples

1. German: Das neue Projekt ist sehr anspruchsvoll.

English: The new project is very demanding. Note: "Sehr" is the most common and neutral intensifier, indicating a high degree of an adjective.

1. German: Er konzentriert sich sehr auf seine Arbeit.

English: He concentrates very much on his work. Note: "Sehr" can also intensify verbs, often placed before the verb or a separable prefix, meaning "a lot" or "intensely."

1. German: Die Präsentation war ziemlich gut vorbereitet.

English: The presentation was quite well prepared. Note: "Ziemlich" indicates a moderate to high degree, often implying "more than expected" or "quite a bit."

1. German: Ist die Aufgabe ziemlich kompliziert, oder schaffe ich das?

English: Is the task quite complicated, or can I manage it? Note: Used in questions, "ziemlich" asks about a notable or moderate degree of intensity.

1. German: Die Wohnung ist relativ klein, aber gemütlich.

English: The apartment is relatively small, but cozy. Note: "Relativ" implies a comparison or a subjective assessment, often with a slight reservation or a "compared to what" nuance.

1. German: Die Kosten sind nicht relativ hoch, sondern eher moderat.

English: The costs are not relatively high, but rather moderate. Note: "Relativ" can be used in negations to deny a comparative or subjectively high degree.

1. German: Nach der langen Wanderung war ich völlig erschöpft.

English: After the long hike, I was completely exhausted. Note: "Völlig" means "completely" or "totally" and is used for absolute or extreme states, often with adjectives that describe a full state (e.g., erschöpft, leer, fertig).

1. German: Die Information ist nicht völlig neu für mich.

English: The information isn't completely new to me. Note: In negations, "völlig" indicates that something is not entirely or absolutely the case.

1. German: Sie spricht sehr fließend Deutsch.

English: She speaks German very fluently. Note: "Sehr" can intensify adverbs, indicating a high degree of the manner described.

1. German: Er reagierte ziemlich schnell auf die Nachricht.

English: He reacted quite quickly to the news. Note: "Ziemlich" can also intensify adverbs, suggesting a notable speed or manner.

1. German: Die Situation hat sich relativ schnell geändert.

English: The situation changed relatively quickly. Note: "Relativ" can modify adverbs, indicating a speed or manner in comparison to something else or a general expectation.

1. German: Seine Reaktion war völlig unerwartet.

English: His reaction was completely unexpected. Note: "Völlig" emphasizes the absolute nature of the adjective, meaning "without any expectation."

1. German: Ich bin heute Abend nicht sehr müde.

English: I'm not very tired this evening. Note: "Nicht sehr" is a common way to express a low degree of something.

1. German: Ist das Problem relativ einfach zu lösen?

English: Is the problem relatively easy to solve? Note: Used in questions, "relativ" asks if something is easy in comparison to other things or expectations.

1. German: Das Wetter war gestern ziemlich schlecht, aber heute ist es besser.

English: The weather was quite bad yesterday, but today it's better. Note: "Ziemlich" can describe a notable negative quality, often implying "more than a little" or "rather."