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Everyday, mindless, and without any particular originality or depth. Often used disparagingly for ideas, statements, or works of art that are perceived as too simple or insignificant.
Seine Antwort auf die komplexe Frage war enttäuschend banal.
His answer to the complex question was disappointingly banal.
'Banal' (banal) is almost always meant negatively or disparagingly. It expresses that something is perceived as too simple, uninteresting, or not deep enough.
Der Film hatte eine sehr banale Handlung.
The film had a very banal plot.
The adjective often describes abstract things such as 'eine banale Idee' (a banal idea), 'eine banale Frage' (a banal question), 'eine banale Erkenntnis' (a banal realization), or 'ein banaler Grund' (a banal reason).
Er versuchte, sein Verhalten mit einer banalen Ausrede zu rechtfertigen.
He tried to justify his behavior with a banal excuse.
'Banal' is often used with verbs such as 'klingen' (to sound), 'wirken' (to seem), or 'erscheinen' (to appear) to describe the impression something makes.
Das mag jetzt banal klingen, aber manchmal sind die einfachsten Lösungen die besten.
This may sound banal now, but sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
simple / just
'einfach' and 'banal' can both have to do with little difficulty or little depth. 'einfach' is usually neutral or positive: something is easy to understand or easy to manage. 'banal' is often negative. It means that an idea, statement, or solution seems too ordinary, superficial, or uninteresting. The words can be confused because both can mean 'not complicated'. But 'banal' gives a negative judgment, while 'einfach' does not automatically sound bad.
Im Kurs fand er die Antwort banal, weil sie nichts Neues sagte.
In the course, he found the answer banal because it said nothing new.
Wir wählen eine einfache Lösung, damit die Bewerbung schnell fertig wird.
We choose a simple solution so that the application can be finished quickly.