productive
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productive
Getting a lot done or producing a lot; achieving high performance or a large output.
Ich hatte heute einen sehr produktiven Tag und konnte viel erledigen.
I had a very productive day today and was able to get a lot done.
'Produktiv' belongs to the word family of 'produzieren' (to produce/manufacture) and 'das Produkt' (the product/result). So when someone or something is productive, it 'produces' a lot or produces good results.
Diese Fabrik produziert täglich tausende Autoteile und ist sehr produktiv.
This factory produces thousands of car parts every day and is very productive.
'Produktiv' can refer to the quantity of results, e.g. 'ein produktiver Autor' (a productive author), or to the quality of cooperation, e.g. 'eine produktive Diskussion' (a productive discussion). The context makes the difference clear.
Ich hatte eine sehr produktive Woche und habe alle meine Aufgaben erledigt.
I had a very productive week and completed all my tasks.
In the context of work and efficiency, 'produktiv' is often used to describe high performance. Typical combinations are 'produktiv sein' (to be productive), 'produktiv arbeiten' (to work productively), or 'eine produktive Phase haben' (to have a productive phase).
Nach einer Tasse Kaffee bin ich morgens am produktivsten.
After a cup of coffee, I'm most productive in the morning.
In linguistics, 'produktiv' has a special meaning: it describes the ability of a grammatical rule to generate new elements. An ending is productive if it can easily be used to form new words.
Die Endung „-lich“ ist im Deutschen sehr produktiv, um aus Nomen Adjektive zu machen.
The ending '-lich' is very productive in German for making adjectives from nouns.
dry
'trocken' and 'produktiv' are opposites especially when talking about a cough. A dry cough does not produce mucus. A productive cough produces mucus, meaning something comes out of the airways. Learners may confuse the words because in everyday language 'produktiv' usually means that you get a lot done. With a cough, however, it means that the body is producing mucus. This distinction is important in a doctor's appointment.
Die Ärztin fragt, ob der Husten produktiv ist und Schleim kommt.
The doctor asks whether the cough is productive and whether there is mucus.
Seit zwei Tagen habe ich einen trockenen Husten und kann nachts schlecht schlafen.
I have had a dry cough for two days and can hardly sleep at night.