average
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average
Describes something that corresponds to the mean or to what is usual. It means that something is neither especially good nor especially bad, but lies within the normal range.
Seine schulischen Leistungen waren immer nur durchschnittlich.
His school performance was always only average.
on average
Used as an adverb to indicate a mean value. It means 'on average' or 'calculated as an average'.
Ein Deutscher trinkt durchschnittlich 100 Liter Bier pro Jahr.
A German drinks on average 100 liters of beer per year.
The word is derived from 'der Durchschnitt' (the average). A 'Durchschnitt' is literally a 'cut through' a set of data in order to find the mean. 'Durchschnittlich' (average) therefore describes what corresponds to this mean value.
Das durchschnittliche Einkommen in dieser Stadt ist recht hoch.
The average income in this city is quite high.
'Durchschnittlich' has two main uses. As an adverb, it is often neutral and statistical, usually in connection with numbers. As an adjective describing a quality, it can also have a slightly negative meaning of 'mediocre' or 'nothing special'.
Ein Auto verbraucht durchschnittlich 7 Liter Benzin auf 100 km.
A car consumes on average 7 liters of gasoline per 100 km.
When 'durchschnittlich' is used as an adverb, it often stands directly before the information it refers to, or at the beginning of the sentence to emphasize the statistical statement.
Durchschnittlich schlafen Erwachsene sieben bis acht Stunden pro Nacht.
On average, adults sleep seven to eight hours per night.
normal
Normal and durchschnittlich can both describe a value within the expected range. “Normal” refers to a norm or expectation, while “durchschnittlich” refers to the middle of a comparison group and therefore to an average. Use “normal” for classification and “durchschnittlich” for comparative evaluation.
Mit 70 Punkten ist das Ergebnis im Vergleich zur Klasse durchschnittlich.
With a score of 70 points, the result is average compared with the class.
Mit 70 Punkten ist das Ergebnis für diesen Test normal.
With a score of 70 points, the result is normal for this test.
