verbal
Expressed with words; spoken or written.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden Politiker lieferten sich ein heftiges verbales Duell im Fernsehen.
The two politicians engaged in a heated verbal duel on television.
verbal
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Meanings
verbal
In linguistics: relating to the verb.
EXAMPLE
In der Linguistik analysiert man die verbale Struktur eines Satzes.
In linguistics, the verbal structure of a sentence is analyzed.
Usage tips
Word family
'Verbal' is related to the noun 'das Verb' (verb/action word). Both words come from the Latin 'verbum', which means 'word'. This helps you understand both meanings of the adjective: it is always about words.
EXAMPLE
Sie löste den Konflikt durch verbale Deeskalation.
She resolved the conflict through verbal de-escalation.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'with words', 'verbal' is often used for communication and conflicts. Typical combinations are 'verbale Angriffe' (verbal attacks), 'eine verbale Auseinandersetzung' (a verbal dispute), or 'verbale Fähigkeiten' (verbal skills).
EXAMPLE
Er ist für seine scharfen verbalen Angriffe bekannt.
He is known for his sharp verbal attacks.
Context clue
This meaning is often used as the opposite of 'nonverbal' (e.g. body language) or 'physisch' (physical). The context makes it clear that it is only about words.
EXAMPLE
Der Streit war rein verbal, es gab keine körperliche Gewalt.
The argument was purely verbal; there was no physical violence.
Context clue
This meaning is a technical term from linguistics. You can recognize it because it appears in the context of grammar, sentence analysis, or verbs.
EXAMPLE
Die Endung „-st“ bei „du gehst“ ist ein verbales Merkmal der zweiten Person Singular.
The ending '-st' in 'du gehst' (you go) is a verbal feature of the second person singular.
Compare with
verbal vs mündlich
oral / verbal
Mündlich and verbal can describe a message expressed with words. Mündlich emphasizes that it is spoken rather than conveyed in writing; verbal emphasizes only that it is expressed through words and can also refer to written communication. Use mündlich when contrasting it with schriftlich, and verbal when contrasting it with gestures or other nonverbal signs.
verbal
Der Arzt drückte die Anweisung verbal statt nur mit einer Geste aus.
The doctor expressed the instruction verbally rather than using only a gesture.
mündlich
Der Arzt gab mir die Anweisung mündlich und nicht schriftlich.
The doctor gave me the instructions orally rather than in writing.
In real life
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