ganz
completely / very
As an adverb, it intensifies an adjective or another adverb and means “completely,” “entirely,” or “very.”
EXAMPLE
Das ist eine ganz andere Situation.
That is a completely different situation.
ganz
whole / quite
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
ganz
whole / entire
As an adjective, it refers to the entirety of something and means “complete” or “undivided.”
EXAMPLE
Ich habe den ganzen Tag gearbeitet.
I worked the whole day.
ganz
quite
Slightly weakens a statement and means “fairly” or “somewhat.”
EXAMPLE
Der Film war ganz gut, aber nicht überragend.
The film was quite good, but not outstanding.
ganz
intact
Describes an object that is undamaged or unbroken.
EXAMPLE
Zum Glück ist die Vase beim Herunterfallen ganz geblieben.
Fortunately, the vase remained intact when it fell down.
ganz und gar
absolutely / entirely
A fixed expression used for strong emphasis, meaning “absolutely” or “completely.”
EXAMPLE
Ich bin ganz und gar nicht deiner Meinung.
I absolutely do not agree with you.
Usage tips
Two uses
'Ganz' has two main functions, which you can recognize from the grammar. If it appears before an adjective or adverb, it is an invariable adverb. If it appears before a noun, it is an adjective and is declined.
EXAMPLE
Das Essen war ganz lecker.
The food was quite tasty.
Intensification
When 'ganz' appears before an adjective or adverb, it intensifies its meaning. It then means “very,” “entirely,” or “completely” and is not declined.
EXAMPLE
Das ist ein ganz neues Problem.
That is a completely new problem.
Always declined
In the meaning of “whole” or “complete,” 'ganz' stands directly before a noun (often with an article). In this case, it must always be declined like a normal adjective.
EXAMPLE
Die ganze Familie fährt in den Urlaub.
The whole family is going on vacation.
Weakening
In spoken language, 'ganz' can slightly weaken a positive statement. 'Der Film ist ganz gut' (The film is quite good) often means that it is okay, but not fantastic.
EXAMPLE
Ich finde das Design ganz schön, aber ich würde es nicht kaufen.
I think the design is quite nice, but I wouldn't buy it.
Sentence structure
In the meaning of “undamaged,” 'ganz' is usually used with the verbs 'sein' (to be) or 'bleiben' (to remain) and appears at the end of the sentence or clause. In this form, it is not declined.
EXAMPLE
Mein Handy ist heruntergefallen, aber es ist zum Glück ganz geblieben.
My phone fell down, but fortunately it remained intact.
Fixed expression
The expression 'ganz und gar' (absolutely, entirely) is a fixed unit used for strong emphasis and means “absolutely” or “completely.” It is often used in negations to strengthen a rejection.
EXAMPLE
Damit bin ich ganz und gar nicht einverstanden.
I absolutely do not agree with that.
Compare with
ganz vs all
all
All and ganz can both refer to a complete amount. All emphasizes the entire amount and comes before the article, while ganz views the content referred to more as a complete unit and comes after the article. In many situations, both are possible, but the perspective is different.
ganz
Sie goss das ganze Wasser aus der Flasche auf einmal in den Topf.
She poured the whole amount of water from the bottle into the pot all at once.
all
Sie verteilte all das Wasser aus der Flasche auf die Becher.
She distributed all the water from the bottle among the cups.
In real life
Loading video examples...