01
hübsch
pretty
Having an appealing, beautiful appearance; attractive.
example
Sie trug ein sehr hübsches Kleid auf der Feier.
She wore a very pretty dress to the party.
hübsch
pretty
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning of 'hübsch' depends strongly on the noun. If it describes the appearance of a person or thing, it means 'attractive'. If it describes an amount (often money or work), it means 'substantial'.
EXAMPLE
Er wohnt in einem hübschen Haus am See.
He lives in a pretty house by the lake.
Register and style
In the meaning 'beträchtlich' (substantial), 'hübsch' is colloquial and is often used with a slightly ironic or surprised emphasis.
EXAMPLE
Da hast du dir ja eine hübsche Erkältung eingefangen.
You've really caught yourself quite a nasty cold there.
Typical collocations
In its colloquial meaning, 'hübsch' is often combined with nouns that refer to an amount or effort. Typical phrases are 'eine hübsche Summe' (a substantial sum), 'ein hübsches Sümmchen' (a tidy little sum), or 'ein hübsches Stück Arbeit' (quite a piece of work).
EXAMPLE
Für das alte Auto hat er noch eine hübsche Summe bekommen.
He still got a substantial sum for the old car.
Compare with
hübsch vs recht
right / quite
'recht' and 'hübsch' can both intensify an adjective and mean roughly 'quite' or 'pretty'. 'recht' is more neutral and possible in many situations, for example 'recht teuer' (quite expensive) or 'recht kalt' (quite cold). 'hübsch' in this meaning is more colloquial and often sounds slightly ironic or emphasizes that something is considerable. Learners may confuse the words because both can appear before adjectives. The important point is: 'hübsch' very often also means 'pretty' or 'good-looking'. As an intensifier, it does not sound natural everywhere.
hübsch
Die Reparatur war hübsch teuer, damit hatte ich nicht gerechnet.
The repair was pretty expensive; I hadn't expected that.
recht
Das Hotel ist recht teuer, aber die Lage ist sehr gut.
The hotel is quite expensive, but the location is very good.
In real life
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