01
genial
brilliant
Exceptionally creative, intelligent, or inventive; showing outstanding intellectual talent.
example
Er hatte eine geniale Idee, um das Problem zu lösen.
He had a brilliant idea for solving the problem.
genial
brilliant / awesome
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
False friend
Careful: 'genial' in German means 'brilliant' or 'showing genius.' It is a false friend of the English word 'genial,' which means 'friendly and cheerful.'
EXAMPLE
Albert Einstein war ein genialer Physiker.
Albert Einstein was a brilliant physicist.
Word family
'Genial' (brilliant/awesome) belongs to the word family of 'das Genie' (a person with exceptional talent; genius) and 'die Genialität' (the quality of being brilliant/genius).
EXAMPLE
Nur ein Genie konnte dieses komplexe Rätsel lösen.
Only a genius could solve this complex puzzle.
Two levels of use
The word has two stylistic levels. The original meaning is 'brilliant' and describes ideas or people. Colloquially, however, it is also often used today as a synonym for 'super' or 'fantastic' when talking about experiences.
EXAMPLE
Das ist eine geniale Erfindung, die vielen Menschen helfen wird.
That is a brilliant invention that will help many people.
Compare with
genial vs super
super
'super' and 'genial' can both express a very positive evaluation. 'super' is very general and fits many everyday things: a meal, a plan, a day, or an idea. Colloquially, 'genial' can also simply mean 'very good', but it often has a stronger sound. It fits especially well when something is particularly clever, creative, or surprisingly good. For normal positive reactions, 'super' is often more neutral; 'genial' feels stronger and more enthusiastic.
genial
Herr Hofmann hat eine geniale Idee für mehr Sicherheit im Büro.
Mr. Hofmann has a brilliant idea for improving safety in the office.
super
Das Essen war super, weil alles frisch gekocht war.
The food was super because everything was freshly cooked.
In real life
Loading video examples...