AdjectiveA1

ganz

whole, entire · quite, really, completely · all (of), the whole

Ganz means 'whole' or 'entire' when used before a noun, and 'quite', 'really', or 'completely' when used as an adverb. It is extremely common in everyday German and often adds emphasis.

What ganz means

  1. whole, entire — before a noun, often with article or determiner
  2. quite, really, completely — as an adverb before adjectives or adverbs
  3. all (of), the whole — in phrases like 'die ganze Zeit' (the whole time)

Heard in real German videos

Lines where ganz was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Es ist ganz einfach damit zu schwimmen.It's really easy to swim with it.
  • Ja, aber ohne Pilze, das ist ganz wichtig.Yeah, but without mushrooms, that's really important.
  • Damit ich ganz alleine bin.So I can be all alone.

Example sentences

  • Ich habe den ganzen Tag gearbeitet.I worked the whole day.
  • Das ist ganz einfach.That's really easy.
  • Er hat die ganze Pizza gegessen.He ate the whole pizza.
  • Sie war ganz allein.She was all alone.

Grammar

Comparativenot used
Superlativenot used

When used before a noun, ganz takes normal adjective endings: der ganze Tag, die ganze Nacht, das ganze Jahr.

Common phrases

  • ganz und garcompletely, utterly
  • im Großen und Ganzenon the whole, by and large
  • die ganze Zeitthe whole time
  • ein ganzes Stückquite a distance, a long way

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often use 'ganz' to mean 'very' in all contexts, but 'sehr' is more common for 'very'. Use 'ganz' for 'quite' or 'completely'.

Don’t confuse it with

  • sehr — Sehr means 'very' and is stronger; ganz often means 'quite' or 'completely'.
  • alle — Alle means 'all' in the sense of every individual; ganz means 'whole' as a single unit.

Questions learners ask

What is the difference between 'ganz' and 'sehr'?

Ganz often means 'quite' or 'completely', while sehr means 'very'. Ganz can also mean 'whole' before a noun.

How do you decline 'ganz'?

Ganz takes normal adjective endings: der ganze Tag, die ganze Nacht, das ganze Jahr, etc.

Can 'ganz' mean 'all'?

Yes, in phrases like 'die ganze Zeit' (the whole time) or 'die ganzen Leute' (all the people), it means 'all' or 'the whole'.