mental
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mental
Refers to thoughts; something that takes place only in the mind or imagination and not in reality. It describes a mental process.
Ich bin gedanklich schon die ganze Präsentation für morgen durchgegangen.
I have already mentally gone through the entire presentation for tomorrow.
The word is derived from the noun 'der Gedanke' (thought). The ending '-lich' turns the noun into an adjective and means 'in the manner of a thought' or 'relating to thoughts'.
Sie machte sich eine gedankliche Notiz, um das nicht zu vergessen.
She made a mental note so she wouldn't forget it.
'Gedanklich' is very often used as an adverb. It then describes that an action takes place only in the mind and not in reality.
Er hat sich gedanklich schon mit dem neuen Projekt beschäftigt.
He has already mentally dealt with the new project.
Common combinations are 'sich gedanklich vorbereiten' (to prepare mentally), 'etwas gedanklich durchgehen' (to go through something mentally), or 'gedanklich abwesend sein' (to be mentally absent).
Vor dem wichtigen Gespräch ging sie alle Punkte gedanklich noch einmal durch.
Before the important conversation, she mentally went through all the points once more.
ideal
Ideal can describe a purely imagined concept that does not exist in reality. Gedanklich, by contrast, describes a process that takes place only in the mind. An imagined model can be ideal; when you examine it in your mind, you work through it gedanklich.
Das Team prüft das Modell zunächst gedanklich, bevor es gebaut wird.
The team first examines the model mentally before building it.
Das Team entwirft ein ideales Modell, das in der Wirklichkeit nicht existiert.
The team is designing an ideal model that does not exist in reality.
