very / bad
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very / badly
Used as an adverb to intensify something, and often has a negative meaning. It means something like 'very', 'badly', or 'strongly'.
Ich habe mich heute arg über den Verkehr aufgeregt.
I got really annoyed about the traffic today.
You can recognize the modern adverbial meaning by the fact that 'arg' remains unchanged before a verb or adjective. The fixed expression is 'nichts Arges' (nothing bad). The outdated adjectival form is declined before a noun in literary contexts.
Ich habe ihn arg vermisst.
I missed him terribly.
In this meaning, 'arg' (very/badly) is used like an adverb to intensify a verb or adjective. It is not declined and often has a negative connotation, similar to 'sehr' (very) or 'schlimm' (badly/terribly).
Er hat sich bei dem Sturz arg wehgetan.
He hurt himself badly in the fall.
The use of 'arg' (very/badly) as an intensifier is typical of spoken language and colloquial speech. It is used less often in formal or written texts.
Das hat mich heute aber arg geärgert.
That really annoyed me today.
The expression 'nichts Arges denken' (to think nothing bad) or 'nichts Arges vermuten' (to suspect nothing bad) is very common. Here, 'Arges' is a nominalized adjective and means 'nothing bad'.
Ich habe mir wirklich nichts Arges dabei gedacht.
I really thought nothing bad of it.
The meaning 'böse' (evil) or 'schlimm' (terrible) is outdated. Today, it is found almost only in fairy tales, poems, or historical texts. It is not actively used in modern German.
Der Ritter kämpfte gegen den argen Drachen.
The knight fought against the wicked dragon.
very
'sehr' and 'arg' can both intensify a statement. 'sehr' is neutral and understood everywhere. In this use, 'arg' means roughly 'very' or 'strongly', but it often has a negative tone and feels more colloquial or regional. For example, you might hear 'arg müde' (very tired) or 'arg schlimm' (really bad). The words can be confused because both express intensity. But 'arg' does not fit every positive or formal statement as well. If you want to stay neutral, 'sehr' is safer.
Bei der Arbeit ist Frau Braun heute arg müde.
At work, Ms. Braun is really tired today.
Bei der Arbeit ist sie sehr vorsichtig, weil die Maschine gefährlich ist.
At work, she is very careful because the machine is dangerous.