German word

natürlich

Pronunciation

IPA/naˈtyːɐ̯lɪç/

Meaning

  • adverbof course

Example

Natürlich helfe ich dir gern.

Of course, I'm happy to help you.

Illustration for natürlich (of course)

More examples

Ja, natürlich kannst du es versuchen.

Of course, I'll be happy to help you.

Core concept

An obvious conclusion is treated as already settled rather than newly argued.

Common phrases

  • natürlich nicht

    of course not

  • ja, natürlich

    Yes, of course

Similar words

selbstverständlich: A clear assurance that something is taken for granted.
sicher: An assured indication that something is certain.
klar: A short indication that something is plainly understood or accepted.

Definition in German

als etwas Selbstverständliches oder Erwartetes bezeichnen; ausdrücken, dass etwas von vornherein klar oder üblich ist.

Word origin

The suffix -lich forms an adjective from Natur, and German uses the unchanged adjective adverbially, giving natürlich both natural and expected-situation meanings.

Usage tips

  • With physical processes, natürlich usually means 'naturally', while in replies it often means 'of course', so context selects the sense.

Other meanings

  • obviouslyadverb
  • naturallyadverb

Word lists with this word