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craft-made
Relating to a craft or produced through manual work and skill. It describes the quality and manner in which an activity is carried out.
Diese handwerklich gefertigten Schuhe sind sehr langlebig.
These craft-made shoes are very durable.
technically
In a figurative sense, relating to the technical execution or skill involved in a non-manual activity, for example in art or film.
Der Film ist handwerklich brillant, aber die Geschichte ist leider schwach.
The film is technically brilliant, but the story is unfortunately weak.
The adjective 'handwerklich' (craft-related/technical) derives directly from the noun 'das Handwerk' (craft/trade). 'Handwerk' itself consists of 'Hand' (hand) and 'Werk' (work). The meaning therefore always relates to the quality of execution or the manner of production.
Für diesen Beruf braucht man viel handwerkliches Geschick.
For this profession, you need a lot of manual skill.
'Handwerklich' (craft-related/technically) can stand as an adjective before a noun or as an adverb describing a verb or another adjective. As an adverb, it answers the question 'Wie?' (How?), meaning in what manner something is made or done.
Das ist eine handwerklich anspruchsvolle Arbeit.
That is technically demanding work.
In the figurative meaning, 'handwerklich' (technically/from a craftsmanship point of view) is often used in reviews (e.g., of films, books, music) to separate the technical execution from the content. A typical formulation is 'handwerklich gut, aber inhaltlich schwach' (technically good, but weak in content).
Der Krimi ist handwerklich solide, aber die Auflösung enttäuscht.
The crime novel is technically solid, but the resolution is disappointing.
technical
In art or film, both words can be used to evaluate execution. “Technisch” tends to emphasize the techniques and tools used, while “handwerklich” focuses more on the skill and quality of the practical execution. Both words are possible, but they place emphasis on different aspects.
Die Kameraführung des Films ist handwerklich sehr gut umgesetzt.
The film’s camerawork is very well executed from a craft perspective.
Die technisch aufwendige Kameraführung nutzt mehrere bewegliche Kameras.
The technically demanding camerawork uses several moving cameras.
