ziemlich
pretty / fairly
Expresses a considerable but not extreme degree; quite, relatively, pretty.
EXAMPLE
Der Film war ziemlich gut, aber nicht der beste, den ich je gesehen habe.
The film was pretty good, but not the best I've ever seen.
ziemlich
pretty / fairly
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Meanings
ziemlich
almost / pretty much
Used to express that something is almost or approximately the case.
EXAMPLE
Das ist ziemlich genau das, was ich gesucht habe.
That is pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
Usage tips
Word order
'Ziemlich' (pretty/fairly) stands as an adverb directly before the adjective or adverb that it modifies. It describes the degree or intensity of this quality.
EXAMPLE
Das Wasser im See ist schon ziemlich kalt.
The water in the lake is already pretty cold.
Register and style
'Ziemlich' (pretty/fairly) is very typical of spoken language and informal texts. It expresses a considerable degree without sounding exaggerated.
EXAMPLE
Ich musste heute ziemlich lange auf den Bus warten.
I had to wait for the bus for quite a long time today.
Context clue
Most of the time, 'ziemlich' means 'recht' (quite) or 'relativ' (relatively). In combination with words like 'genau' (exactly) or 'gleich' (the same), the meaning changes to 'almost' or 'approximately'.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Restaurant ist ziemlich teuer.
The new restaurant is pretty expensive.
Compare with
ziemlich vs ganz
whole / quite
Ganz and ziemlich can both express a considerable degree before an adjective. Ziemlich usually indicates a high but not extreme degree. Depending on the adjective, the context, and the emphasis, ganz can instead mean either only “fairly” or “completely.”
ziemlich
Die Lösung ist ziemlich gut, aber noch nicht perfekt.
The solution is pretty good, but not perfect yet.
ganz
Die Lösung ist ganz gut, aber noch nicht perfekt.
The solution is quite good, but not perfect yet.
In real life
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