01
sacht
gentle / softly
In a gentle, quiet, and careful way; without much force or noise.
example
Mit einer sachten Bewegung legte sie dem schlafenden Kind die Decke über.
With a gentle movement, she laid the blanket over the sleeping child.
sacht
gentle / softly
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Meanings
Usage tips
Adjective and adverb
'Sacht' can stand before a noun as an adjective or describe a verb as an adverb. As an adverb, the form remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Ein sachter Wind wehte durch die Bäume.
A gentle wind blew through the trees.
Typical collocations
'Sacht' is often used to describe quiet, careful actions or natural phenomena. Typical combinations are 'eine sachte Berührung' (a gentle touch), 'sachtes Klopfen' (soft knocking), 'sachter Regen' (gentle rain), or 'sachte Stimme' (soft voice).
EXAMPLE
Ich spürte eine sachte Berührung auf meiner Schulter.
I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder.
Register and style
The word 'sacht' often has a slightly poetic or literary tone. It is used to create a gentle, calm atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
Das Mondlicht fiel sacht auf den stillen See.
The moonlight fell softly on the quiet lake.
Compare with
sacht vs laut
loud / according to
'laut' and 'sacht' both describe how something sounds or how something happens. 'laut' means that something is easy to hear because the volume is high. 'sacht', on the other hand, means quiet, gentle, and careful, often without much force. So the contrast is: a lot of noise or force with 'laut', little noise and careful movement with 'sacht'. 'sacht' sounds a bit softer and is often used for movements or touches.
sacht
Sie schließt die Tür ganz sacht, damit das Kind nicht aufwacht.
She closes the door very softly so the child does not wake up.
laut
Die Musik ist so laut, dass man sich kaum unterhalten kann.
The music is so loud that you can hardly have a conversation.
In real life
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