mutual
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mutual
Expresses a reciprocal relationship in which an action or feeling comes from two or more people or groups toward one another.
Gute Freunde unterstützen sich gegenseitig in schwierigen Zeiten.
Good friends support each other in difficult times.
The word is made up of 'gegen' (against / toward) and 'Seite' (side). It describes an action that goes from one side to the other and back again, so it is based on reciprocity.
Gegenseitiges Verständnis ist die Basis einer guten Beziehung.
Mutual understanding is the basis of a good relationship.
'Gegenseitig' (mutual / each other) is very often used together with a plural reflexive pronoun (uns, euch, sich). It emphasizes that the action is reciprocal: A does it for B and B does it for A.
Wir helfen uns gegenseitig bei den Hausaufgaben.
We help each other with homework.
Common verbs combined with 'sich gegenseitig' (each other / one another) are: unterstützen (to support), helfen (to help), inspirieren (to inspire), respektieren (to respect), and vertrauen (to trust).
In einer guten Partnerschaft sollte man sich gegenseitig inspirieren.
In a good partnership, you should inspire each other.
oneself / each other
'sich' and 'gegenseitig' can both express that two or more people do something for each other. In this meaning, 'sich' often means 'einander' (each other), for example 'Sie helfen sich' (They help each other). 'gegenseitig' makes this reciprocal relationship clearer and stronger: both sides do or feel something for each other. Learners may confuse the words because both can appear in similar sentences. However, 'sich' is a pronoun and belongs grammatically to the verb. 'gegenseitig' describes the relationship more precisely and can often be added for clarity.
Im Team ist gegenseitige Unterstützung besonders wichtig.
Mutual support is especially important in a team.
Die Nachbarn helfen sich beim Tragen der schweren Kisten.
The neighbors help each other carry the heavy boxes.