01
gewiss
certain
Means sure, unquestionable, or established. It expresses a high degree of certainty.
example
Nach dieser Leistung ist ihm der Sieg so gut wie gewiss.
After that performance, victory is as good as certain for him.
gewiss
certain
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Gewiss' (certain) is closely related to the verb 'wissen' (to know). The basic idea is that something is 'gewusst' (known) and therefore certain. The word family also includes 'die Gewissheit' (certainty) and 'sich vergewissern' (to make sure).
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mich erst vergewissern, ob die Information stimmt.
I first have to make sure whether the information is correct.
Meaning depending on position
The meaning of 'gewiss' (certain) changes significantly depending on its position in the sentence. If it comes after a verb (predicative), it means 'sicher' (certain/sure). If it comes before a noun (attributive), it means 'ein bestimmter' (a certain/particular).
EXAMPLE
Der Erfolg ist ihm gewiss.
Success is certain for him.
Sentence structure with dative
In the meaning 'sicher' (certain/sure), 'gewiss' is often used with the verb 'sein' (to be). The person for whom something is certain is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Mit deiner Hilfe ist uns die Unterstützung gewiss.
With your help, support is certain for us.
Unspecified people/things
When 'gewiss' (certain) comes before a noun, it expresses that a person or thing is not known in detail or is not meant to be named. It is declined like a normal adjective.
EXAMPLE
Er hat ab einem gewissen Alter graue Haare bekommen.
He started getting gray hair after a certain age.
Use as an adverb
As an adverb, 'gewiss' (certainly) means something like 'sicherlich' (certainly) or 'bestimmt' (definitely) and strengthens a statement. It often appears at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das wird gewiss nicht einfach, aber wir schaffen das.
That certainly won't be easy, but we can do it.
Compare with
gewiss vs natürlich
natural / of course
'natürlich' and 'gewiss' can both confirm a statement and then mean roughly 'certainly' or 'of course'. 'natürlich' sounds very normal in everyday language and often friendly, especially as an answer to a request or question. As an adverb, 'gewiss' sounds more elevated or somewhat old-fashioned. It is used more when you want to confirm a statement in a more solemn or stronger way. In conversation, 'natürlich' is usually the more natural choice.
gewiss
Sie wird gewiss bald antworten, wenn sie die Nachricht liest.
She will certainly reply soon when she reads the message.
natürlich
Natürlich helfe ich dir heute Abend beim Lernen.
Of course, I’ll help you study this evening.
In real life
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