Genau!

Most of my US clients looking to explore Germany know a few German words, such as “Ja”, “Guten Tag” or “Danke”. That’s certainly a good start. Another word, which I would encourage American business professionals to incorporate in their “must have” list of basic German words, is the word “Genau”.

Genau (pronounced “Gae-now”) means “exact” or “exactly”. In that sense, it can be used when giving someone instructions, such as “ok, be careful to pay ‘genau’ attention”. But in the context you will hear the word ‘genau’ a lot more often is at the end of an exchange of ideas or during an engaging dialog. In that sense, it means, “you are right”, “yes, that’s it”, “you got it”, “sounds good”, “yes, indeed” and so on. To give a ‘genau’ an extra portion of exclamation, one may add the word ‘ganz’ in front of it, which means “complete” or “whole”. Coupled with ‘genau’, ‘ganz’ means “entirely” or “totally!”

On your next flight to Germany, or during an upcoming tradeshow, if you happen to be next to a group of Germans, listen carefully. You will hear the word ‘Genau’ a lot (or ‘ganz genau’). What I like about the word is that it can be tailored to the occasion or the type of conversation. Very often its use reflects a certain amount of enthusiasm and excitement. A positive ‘Genau!’ or ‘Ganz genau!’ in response to an idea or an exchange of answers/questions is a great way to give someone a thumbs up, show strong support, or exclaim highest approval. Alternatively, a subdued (or sad) ‘genau’ is a subtle way to let the other person know that you “share” their sentiments or “can appreciate” where they are coming from.

So the next time you converse with a German, although the conversation may very well take place in English, mix in an occasional ‘Genau’. It likely will create a favorable impression with your German counterpart and help you to built rapport.