indifferent
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indifferent
Showing no interest, no sympathy, or no emotional reaction toward something or someone; uninvolved.
Es ist ihm völlig gleichgültig, was wir am Wochenende unternehmen.
He is completely indifferent to what we do on the weekend.
'Gleichgültig' is made up of 'gleich' (same/equal) and 'gültig' (valid). The literal meaning is that different options are 'gleich gültig' (equally valid) to someone, meaning they all have the same value and it therefore does not matter which one happens.
Ob wir ins Kino oder ins Theater gehen, ist mir gleichgültig.
Whether we go to the cinema or the theater is all the same to me.
'Gleichgültig' is very often used in the structure 'Es ist [Dativ-Objekt] gleichgültig, ...' (It is indifferent to [dative object] / [someone] doesn't care...). The dative object is the person who has the feeling of indifference.
Es war ihm völlig gleichgültig, ob seine Mannschaft gewinnt oder verliert.
It was completely indifferent to him whether his team won or lost.
To express what the indifference relates to, the preposition 'gegenüber' (toward) with the dative is often used. This is especially common with people or abstract topics.
Sie verhielt sich ihren alten Freunden gegenüber immer gleichgültiger.
She behaved more and more indifferently toward her old friends.
indifferent / no matter
Egal and gleichgültig can express a lack of interest in something. Egal is usually the colloquial assessment of a specific choice or matter, while gleichgültig more strongly describes an uninvolved attitude toward something or someone. Use egal in everyday situations and gleichgültig for noticeable indifference.
Er blieb gleichgültig, als seine Freundin von dem Problem erzählte.
He remained indifferent when his girlfriend told him about the problem.
Mir ist egal, ob du heute oder morgen kommst.
I don't care whether you come today or tomorrow.
