nachdenklich
thoughtful / pensive
Lost in thought and thinking deeply about something. A person in this state often appears quiet and serious.
EXAMPLE
Sein Vorschlag machte sie nachdenklich.
His suggestion made her thoughtful.
nachdenklich
thoughtful / pensive
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation
The word is derived from the verb 'nachdenken' (to think about, to reflect). The ending '-lich' turns it into an adjective that describes the state of a person who is currently thinking about something.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Gespräch war er sehr nachdenklich.
After the conversation, he was very thoughtful.
Sentence structure and use
A very typical construction is 'jemanden nachdenklich machen' (to make someone thoughtful) or 'jemanden nachdenklich stimmen' (to make someone pensive). This means that a piece of information or an event makes a person start thinking.
EXAMPLE
Der Film hat mich sehr nachdenklich gemacht.
The film made me very thoughtful.
Typical collocations
'Nachdenklich' (thoughtful/pensive) often describes a person's facial expression or mood. Common combinations are 'ein nachdenklicher Blick' (a thoughtful look), 'eine nachdenkliche Miene' (a thoughtful expression), or 'nachdenklich werden' (to become thoughtful).
EXAMPLE
Mit nachdenklicher Miene blickte er aus dem Fenster.
With a thoughtful expression, he looked out the window.
Compare with
nachdenklich vs denkend
thinking
Nachdenklich describes a state or the impression of a person who is quietly and seriously reflecting on something. Denkend places more emphasis on the ongoing thought process during an action. Use nachdenklich for the visible mood and denkend for thinking that accompanies an activity.
nachdenklich
Lena saß nachdenklich am Fenster und dachte über die schwierige Aufgabe nach.
Lena sat thoughtfully by the window, thinking about the difficult task.
denkend
Lena ging die schwierige Aufgabe denkend Schritt für Schritt durch.
Lena worked through the difficult task step by step while thinking it over.
In real life
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