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buchstäblich

literally

adverb BOOKH-shtep-likh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Usage Note

Buchstäblich means 'in the literal sense of the word' but is also widely used as a hyperbolic intensifier, just as English 'literally' is. Er ist buchstäblich vor Erschöpfung zusammengebrochen can mean both literal collapse and emphatic exaggeration.

Examples

"Das Konzert war buchstäblich ausverkauft, kein einziger Platz war frei."

Natural Translation

The concert was literally sold out — not a single seat was free.

Literal Translation

The concert was literally sold-out, no single seat was free.

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