gründlich
thorough
Carried out carefully and with great precision; taking all details into account.
EXAMPLE
Vor dem Einzug haben wir die Wohnung gründlich geputzt.
Before moving in, we cleaned the apartment thoroughly.
gründlich
thorough
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Meanings
gründlich
completely
Used as an adverb in the sense of 'completely', 'entirely', or 'thoroughly', often to intensify a negative experience.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mich in ihm gründlich getäuscht.
I was completely wrong about him.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'gründlich' (thorough) is related to the noun 'der Grund' (ground/reason). It describes an action that goes 'bis auf den Grund' (to the bottom), meaning it is very deep, detailed, and complete.
EXAMPLE
Eine gründliche Recherche ist die Grundlage für einen guten Artikel.
Thorough research is the basis for a good article.
Typical collocations
'Gründlich' (thoroughly) is often combined with verbs that describe a careful action. Typical examples are: to examine, check, clean, or prepare something thoroughly.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt hat den Patienten gründlich untersucht.
The doctor examined the patient thoroughly.
Intensifying meaning
As an adverb, 'gründlich' (completely/thoroughly) can intensify a negative statement and then means 'entirely' or 'completely'. It is often used with verbs like 'sich irren' (to be mistaken), 'sich täuschen' (to be wrong/misjudge), or 'etwas satthaben' (to be fed up with something).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe seine Absichten gründlich missverstanden.
I completely misunderstood his intentions.
Compare with
gründlich vs genau
exact / precise
Genau and gründlich can both describe a careful check. Genau emphasizes precision in individual pieces of information or details, while gründlich emphasizes that the check is comprehensive and that nothing important is left out. Genau is a good fit for a single number, while gründlich is more suitable for an entire text or process.
gründlich
Bitte prüfe den ganzen Bericht gründlich, bevor du ihn einträgst.
Please check the entire report thoroughly before entering it.
genau
Bitte prüfe diese Zahl genau, bevor du sie einträgst.
Please check this number carefully before entering it.
In real life
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