AdjectiveA1

gut

good (quality, skill, moral) · well (health, feeling) · good, okay (agreement)

Gut means 'good' and is one of the most common German adjectives. It describes quality, skill, well-being, and moral goodness. Germans use it constantly in everyday speech, often as a simple positive response or to say something is fine.

What gut means

  1. good (quality, skill, moral) — General positive evaluation of things, people, or actions.
  2. well (health, feeling) — Describing physical or emotional state, often with 'gehen' or 'fühlen'.
  3. good, okay (agreement) — Used as a response to accept a suggestion or indicate approval.

Heard in real German videos

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

  • Siehst du, so gut wie neu.See, good as new.
  • Also jetzt hör mal gut zu.So now listen carefully.
  • Ja, richtig gut, Opa.Yes, really good, Grandpa.

Example sentences

  • Das Essen schmeckt gut.The food tastes good.
  • Mir geht es heute nicht so gut.I'm not feeling so well today.
  • Gut, machen wir es so.Okay, let's do it that way.
  • Sie ist eine gute Schülerin.She is a good student.

Grammar

Comparativebesser
Superlativeam besten / beste(r/s)

Gut is irregular in comparison: gut – besser – am besten. The superlative can be used as an adjective with endings (der/die/das beste) or as an adverb with 'am' (am besten).

Common phrases

  • so gut wieas good as, practically
  • gut gemachtwell done
  • gut aussehento look good
  • gut gehento be going well (for someone)
  • gut möglichquite possible

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often confuse 'gut' (adjective/adverb) with 'gern' (adverb meaning 'gladly'). For example, 'I like to read' is 'Ich lese gern', not 'Ich lese gut'. Use 'gut' for quality, 'gern' for liking an activity.

Don’t confuse it with

  • gern — Gern expresses liking to do something, while gut describes quality or well-being.
  • schön — Schön means 'beautiful' or 'nice' in an aesthetic sense, while gut means 'good' in quality or moral sense.

Questions learners ask

What is the comparative and superlative of gut?

The comparative is 'besser' (better) and the superlative is 'am besten' or 'der/die/das beste' (best).

How do you say 'I am fine' in German?

You say 'Mir geht es gut' (literally: It goes well for me). 'Ich bin gut' is not idiomatic for health; it would mean 'I am good (at something)'.

What is the difference between 'gut' and 'gern'?

'Gut' means 'good' or 'well' and describes quality. 'Gern' means 'gladly' and is used to express liking an activity, e.g., 'Ich tanze gern' (I like to dance).