pronoun
all, entire
B1
Sämtlich is an indefinite pronoun/adjective meaning 'all' or 'entire' (collectively, without exception). It’s used attributively before nouns (sämtliche Personen) and declines like an adjective. More formal than 'alle' and emphasizes completeness. No reflexivity or preposition requirement; common in formal or written registers.
Examples
Sämtliche Gäste haben den Raum verlassen.
All the guests have left the room.
Er hat sämtliche Dokumente gelesen.
He read the entire set of documents.
Sämtliche Unterlagen wurden eingereicht, obwohl die Frist knapp war.
All documents were submitted, although the deadline was tight.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a stack of papers stamped with ONE big 'ALL' stamp covering every sheet.
Think 'sum' (all together) + 'tlich' — all summed up.
Notes
Sämtlich is a formal/neutral word meaning 'all' or 'entire'. It is often used with plural nouns ('sämtliche Unterlagen') or to mean 'every one of' in a collective sense.