leicht
light
Of low weight; not heavy.
EXAMPLE
Diese Jacke ist sehr leicht und trotzdem warm.
This jacket is very light and still warm.
leicht
light / easy
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Meanings
leicht
easy
Not difficult; easy to do, understand, or manage.
EXAMPLE
Die Matheaufgabe war überraschend leicht zu lösen.
The math problem was surprisingly easy to solve.
leicht
slight / mild
Of low intensity, strength, or degree; weak or gentle.
EXAMPLE
Am Abend spürte ich einen leichten Schmerz im Rücken.
In the evening, I felt a slight pain in my back.
leicht
light
Referring to food or drinks: low in calories, low in fat, and easy to digest.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sport esse ich gerne eine leichte Mahlzeit wie einen Salat.
After exercising, I like to eat a light meal such as a salad.
Usage tips
Context clue
The two main meanings of 'leicht' are 'not heavy' and 'not difficult'. The context makes clear what is meant: if you are talking about physical objects, it is about weight. If you are talking about tasks or problems, it is about difficulty.
EXAMPLE
Die Feder ist sehr leicht. (Gewicht)
The feather is very light. (weight)
Word family
Other useful words are derived from 'leicht' (light/easy). The verb 'erleichtern' means to make something easier or lighter. The noun 'die Leichtigkeit' describes the state of being light or easy.
EXAMPLE
Ein guter Plan erleichtert die Arbeit erheblich.
A good plan makes the work considerably easier.
Sentence structure with infinitive
In the meaning of 'einfach' (easy), 'leicht' is very often used in the construction with 'zu' + infinitive. This structure describes that an action is easy to carry out.
EXAMPLE
Das Buch ist leicht zu lesen.
The book is easy to read.
Typical collocations
To describe low intensity, 'leicht' (slight/mild) is often combined with certain nouns. Typical examples are 'ein leichter Regen' (a light rain), 'ein leichter Wind' (a light wind), 'leichte Schmerzen' (mild pain), or 'ein leichter Schlaf' (light sleep).
EXAMPLE
Er wachte auf, weil er nur einen leichten Schlaf hat.
He woke up because he is only a light sleeper.
In the context of food
When 'leicht' (light) is used in connection with food and drink, it means 'easy to digest' and 'low in calories'. A typical combination is 'leichte Kost' (light food).
EXAMPLE
Nach der Krankheit empfahl der Arzt nur leichte Kost.
After the illness, the doctor recommended only light food.
Compare with
leicht vs einfach
simple / just
For a task that is manageable, both „einfach“ and „leicht“ are often possible. „Einfach“ tends to emphasize that something is not complicated in structure or is easy to understand; „leicht“ focuses more on the effort required. Use „einfach“ for low complexity and „leicht“ for low difficulty.
leicht
Die Aufgabe ist leicht, deshalb kann sie jeder in wenigen Minuten lösen.
The task is easy, so anyone can solve it in a few minutes.
einfach
Die Aufgabe ist einfach, weil sie nur aus drei kurzen Schritten besteht.
The task is simple because it consists of only three short steps.
In real life
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