persönlich

adjective
personal, personally
B1

persönlich: adjective and adverb meaning 'personal' or 'personally'. Used attributively, predicatively or adverbially without form change. Gradable: comparative persönlicher, superlative am persönlichsten. Antonym unpersönlich. Not reflexive. Also used to express personal opinion or direct address; common in many contexts.

Examples

Das ist eine persönliche Nachricht.
That's a personal message.
Ich nehme das persönlich.
I take that personally.
Er reiste persönlich zum Treffen, weil der Vertrag in seinem Büro unterschrieben werden sollte.
He travelled personally to the meeting because the contract was supposed to be signed in his office.

Details

GradableYes
Comparativepersönlicher
Superlativeam persönlichsten
ParticipleNo

Mnemonics

👁️Imagine a handwritten letter signed 'persönlich' to emphasize it's from one person.
👂Sounds like 'person' + 'lich' — think 'personal' (related to a person).

Notes

Can be used both as 'personal' (adjective) and in adverbial sense 'personally' depending on context. In polite formulas, 'persönlich' can also mean 'in person' (e.g., 'Ich übergebe es Ihnen persönlich').

Category

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