01
buchstäblich
literally
In the literal, actual sense of the word; exactly as it is said.
example
Nach dem Sturz ins Wasser war er buchstäblich von Kopf bis Fuß nass.
After falling into the water, he was literally wet from head to toe.
buchstäblich
literally
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word 'buchstäblich' (literally) contains 'Buchstaben' (letters). So it originally means 'according to the letters' or 'word for word,' which underlines the literal meaning.
EXAMPLE
Er hat die Anleitung buchstäblich befolgt und jeden Schritt genau ausgeführt.
He followed the instructions literally and carried out every step exactly.
Sentence position
As an adverb, 'buchstäblich' (literally) can be placed flexibly in the sentence. It often stands directly before the word or phrase it emphasizes, or at the beginning of the sentence to intensify the entire statement.
EXAMPLE
Mir sind buchstäblich die Augen zugefallen.
My eyes literally fell shut.
Context clue
You can often recognize the exaggerating meaning from unrealistic quantities or situations. If someone says they have 'buchstäblich eine Tonne' (literally a ton) of work, it is a colloquial intensifier and not meant literally.
EXAMPLE
Ich warte schon buchstäblich eine Ewigkeit auf den Bus.
I've been waiting literally forever for the bus.
Register
Using 'buchstäblich' (literally) as a pure intensifier for exaggerations is typical of colloquial speech. In formal or written texts, this usage is often avoided.
EXAMPLE
Mein Herz ist buchstäblich stehen geblieben, als ich das gehört habe.
My heart literally stopped when I heard that.
Compare with
buchstäblich vs wirklich
really
'wirklich' and 'buchstäblich' can both strongly emphasize a statement. 'wirklich' simply means that something actually is the case. 'buchstäblich' is more precise: in the actual, literal sense, not just figuratively. Colloquially, 'buchstäblich' is also used as a strong intensifier, almost like 'wirklich'. That is exactly why the words can be confused. A safer rule is: if you only want to confirm something, use 'wirklich'. If you want to show that a phrase is meant exactly as stated, 'buchstäblich' fits better.
buchstäblich
Nach dem Sturm lag das Schild buchstäblich mitten auf der Straße.
After the storm, the sign was literally lying in the middle of the road.
wirklich
Der Test war wirklich schwer.
The test was really hard.
In real life
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