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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
gewiss
certain
Used before a noun to refer to a person or thing that is not specified in detail or is not meant to be named; a particular one.
EXAMPLE
Ein gewisser Herr Schmidt hat heute Morgen für Sie angerufen.
A certain Mr. Schmidt called for you this morning.
gewiss
certainly
Used as an adverb to emphasize a statement; certainly, definitely.
EXAMPLE
Das wird gewiss eine Herausforderung, aber wir sind gut vorbereitet.
That will certainly be a challenge, but we are well prepared.
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 sicher
sure / safe
Both words express that something is true without a doubt. „Sicher“ is neutral and very common in present-day standard German, while „gewiss“ often sounds more elevated or solemn. Use „sicher“ in everyday statements and „gewiss“ when you deliberately want the statement to sound more formal.
gewiss
Die Nachricht ist gewiss richtig.
The news is certainly correct.
sicher
Die Nachricht ist sicher richtig.
The news is certainly correct.
In real life
Loading video examples...