derselbe

the same

determiner der-ZEL-buh Less Common

Usage Note

derselbe means 'the very same' identical thing, while der gleiche means 'the same kind'. Both halves inflect: demselben, derselben, dieselbe, dasselbe. It implies one and the same object, not merely a match.

Examples

"Wir nehmen denselben Zug."

Natural Translation

We're taking the same train.

Literal Translation

We take the-same train.

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