01
trivial
Everyday, simple, or insignificant, and therefore not especially remarkable or interesting.
example
Seine Ausrede war so trivial, dass ihm niemand glaubte.
His excuse was so trivial that no one believed him.
trivial
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Register and style
The word 'trivial' belongs more to elevated or formal language. It is often used in written or academic contexts.
EXAMPLE
Die Lösung des Problems war am Ende überraschend trivial.
In the end, the solution to the problem was surprisingly trivial.
Typical collocations
In its general meaning, 'trivial' is often combined with nouns such as 'Frage' (question), 'Grund' (reason), 'Problem' (problem), or 'Angelegenheit' (matter).
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich über eine triviale Angelegenheit aufgeregt.
He got upset about a trivial matter.
Context clue
You can recognize the mathematical meaning from the context. When the topic is subjects such as mathematics, logic, or computer science, 'trivial' usually means 'obvious' or 'the simplest case'.
EXAMPLE
Für Mathematiker ist dies ein trivialer Beweis.
For mathematicians, this is a trivial proof.
Compare with
trivial vs einfach
simple / just
'einfach' and 'trivial' can both mean that something is not difficult to understand. 'einfach' is neutral and fits many everyday situations: 'eine einfache Aufgabe' (a simple task), 'eine einfache Erklärung' (a simple explanation). 'trivial' sounds stronger and often a bit dismissive: something is so simple or ordinary that it is hardly interesting. In mathematics or logic, 'trivial' can also be neutral and mean that something is obvious and does not need proof. Learners may confuse the words, but 'trivial' is not always a good replacement for 'einfach' because it can quickly sound like 'unimportant'.
trivial
Julian findet die Frage trivial, weil jeder die Antwort kennt.
Julian finds the question trivial because everyone knows the answer.
einfach
Für die Reise lerne ich zuerst einfache Sätze auf Deutsch.
For the trip, I first learn simple sentences in German.
In real life
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