German word

egal

Pronunciation

IPA/eˈgaːl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveindifferent

Example

Mir ist egal.

It doesn't matter to me.

Illustration for egal (indifferent)

More examples

Ist dir das egal?

Does that matter to you?

Core concept

Two paths leave a fork, but the chooser has no preference because neither path matters.

Common phrases

  • völlig egal

    completely indifferent

  • für mich egal

    indifferent to me

Similar words

gleichgültig: Showing little care or emotional response toward someone or something.
unwichtig: Not important enough to deserve priority or attention.
wurstegal: Completely unimportant, in a blunt and colloquial way.
uninteressant: Failing to attract interest or seem engaging.

Definition in German

Jemandem ist etwas egal, wenn die Sache für diese Person keine Bedeutung hat und keinen Einfluss auf ihre Entscheidung hat.

Word origin

The adjective entered German through French égal from Latin aequalis, "equal," and came to describe matters treated as equally inconsequential.

Usage tips

  • The person affected by egal commonly appears in the dative, as in "Mir ist das egal" or "Das ist mir egal."

Other meanings

  • immaterialadjective
  • unimportantadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word