capable / thoroughly
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capable
Describes a person who does their work well, competently, diligently, and with great effort.
Sie hat sich als eine sehr tüchtige und zuverlässige Mitarbeiterin erwiesen.
She has proven to be a very capable and reliable employee.
The function in the sentence determines the meaning. If 'tüchtig' comes before a noun, it describes a person as hardworking and competent. If it appears with a verb, it intensifies the action and means 'a lot' or 'vigorously'.
Er ist ein tüchtiger Gärtner, sein Garten sieht immer perfekt aus.
He is a capable gardener; his garden always looks perfect.
'Tüchtig' is related to the verb 'taugen', which means 'to be good or suitable for something'. A 'tüchtige' (capable) person is therefore someone who is well suited for a task and performs it well.
Diese Säge taugt nichts, sie ist ganz stumpf.
This saw is no good; it is completely blunt.
In the meaning 'hardworking', 'tüchtig' often describes people in their job or while doing an activity. Typical combinations are 'ein tüchtiger Handwerker' (a capable craftsman), 'eine tüchtige Schülerin' (a capable/hardworking schoolgirl), or 'tüchtige Angestellte' (capable employees).
Wir suchen eine tüchtige Aushilfe für unser Café.
We are looking for a capable temporary worker for our café.
The use of 'tüchtig' as an adverb for emphasis is especially common in colloquial language. You often hear it in informal conversations.
Auf der Party wurde bis in die Nacht tüchtig gefeiert.
At the party, people celebrated enthusiastically late into the night.
neat / proper
'ordentlich' and 'tüchtig' can overlap, especially when they are used as intensifiers. In that case, both mean roughly 'a lot' or 'vigorously'. 'ordentlich' is very common in everyday speech in this use. 'tüchtig' as an intensifier sounds somewhat older or more regional. As an adjective for people, however, 'tüchtig' means something different: a 'tüchtig' person works well, diligently, and competently. 'ordentlich' is more about someone acting correctly or doing something in a clean, organized, and proper way. The words can be confused because both can be positive. For diligence and skill, 'tüchtig' is more precise; for orderliness or proper execution, 'ordentlich' is more natural.
Der neue Mitarbeiter ist tüchtig und erledigt seine Aufgaben sehr zuverlässig.
The new employee is capable and handles his tasks very reliably.
Räum bitte ordentlich auf, bevor die Eltern kommen.
Please tidy up properly before your parents come.