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absichtlich
deliberately
Intentionally, on purpose, and not by chance or by accident.
example
Er hat mich absichtlich angerempelt, um einen Streit anzufangen.
He deliberately bumped into me to start an argument.
absichtlich
deliberately
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'absichtlich' (deliberately) is derived from the noun 'die Absicht' (intention). If you do something 'mit Absicht' (on purpose), you do it 'absichtlich' (deliberately).
EXAMPLE
Es war keine Absicht, ich habe dich nicht absichtlich ignoriert.
It wasn't intentional; I didn't deliberately ignore you.
Word order
As an adverb, 'absichtlich' (deliberately) can stand flexibly in the sentence, usually before or after the verb it describes. It can also be used alone as an answer or predicatively.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat die Tür absichtlich offen gelassen.
She deliberately left the door open.
Typical context
'Absichtlich' (deliberately) is very often used to express that a negative action was intentional and not an accident. It emphasizes responsibility for an act.
EXAMPLE
Ich glaube, er hat das Glas absichtlich fallen lassen, weil er wütend war.
I think he deliberately dropped the glass because he was angry.
Compare with
absichtlich vs bewusst
conscious / deliberate
'bewusst' and 'absichtlich' can both mean that something happens intentionally and not by chance. 'absichtlich' is very direct: someone wanted to do exactly that. 'bewusst' can be used in the same way, but it sometimes sounds a little less harsh and puts more emphasis on the fact that someone thought about it. In many everyday sentences, you can use both in a similar way. If you want to state clearly that something was not a mistake, 'absichtlich' is especially unambiguous.
absichtlich
Omar hat die Tür absichtlich leise geschlossen, weil das Kind schläft.
Omar deliberately closed the door quietly because the child is sleeping.
bewusst
Jonas spricht bewusst langsam, damit alle ihn gut verstehen.
Jonas deliberately speaks slowly so that everyone can understand him well.
In real life
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