conscientious
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conscientious
Describes a person or action that is carried out very carefully, thoroughly, and with a strong sense of responsibility.
Sie ist eine sehr gewissenhafte Mitarbeiterin, die jeden Fehler findet.
She is a very conscientious employee who finds every mistake.
The word is derived from 'das Gewissen' (conscience). A conscientious person acts as if they were following their conscience—that is, very carefully and responsibly.
Er hat die Aufgabe mit gewissenhafter Genauigkeit erledigt.
He completed the task with conscientious precision.
'Gewissenhaft' (conscientious/conscientiously) can also be used as an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. It then answers the question 'Wie?' (How?).
Die Ärztin untersuchte den Patienten sehr gewissenhaft.
The doctor examined the patient very conscientiously.
'Gewissenhaft' (conscientious) often describes people at work or an activity itself. Typical combinations are 'ein gewissenhafter Schüler' (a conscientious student), 'eine gewissenhafte Prüfung' (a careful examination), or 'gewissenhaft arbeiten' (to work conscientiously).
Er ist bekannt für seine gewissenhafte Arbeitsweise.
He is known for his conscientious way of working.
exact / precise
'genau' and 'gewissenhaft' are both connected to careful work. 'genau' mainly describes the result or the execution: something is precise, correct, and without errors. 'gewissenhaft' focuses more on a person's attitude: they work thoroughly, reliably, and with a sense of responsibility. So you can have 'eine genaue Rechnung' (an exact calculation), but 'eine gewissenhafte Mitarbeiterin' (a conscientious employee). 'genau' is especially suitable for data, information, and details. 'gewissenhaft' is more suitable when you want to praise how responsibly someone works.
Die neue Kollegin arbeitet gewissenhaft und vergisst keine wichtigen Termine.
The new colleague works conscientiously and never forgets any important appointments.
Max hat die Zahlen genau geprüft, bevor er die E-Mail geschickt hat.
Max checked the numbers carefully before sending the email.