eigentlich

actually

adverb adjective EYE-gent-likh Common

Also means

real

Usage Note

eigentlich is one of the most common German flavouring words, softening a statement to mean 'actually, in fact'. As an attributive adjective it means 'real, true' as in der eigentliche Grund ('the real reason'). In questions it adds a casual 'by the way' tone: Wie heißt du eigentlich?

Examples

"Ich wollte eigentlich früher kommen."

Natural Translation

I actually wanted to come earlier.

Literal Translation

I wanted actually earlier to-come.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Greetings by Region: Grüß Gott to Grüezi

German greetings change by region: say Moin in Hamburg, Grüß Gott in Bavaria, Grüezi in Switzerland. A map of every hello and goodbye, plus du vs. Sie.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read