All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| ähnlich | similar | shared appearance, features or situations | Adjective; jemandem ähnlich; ähnlicher |
| gleich | same; equal | matching amounts, characteristics, times | Adjective in this comparison; die gleichen |
| identisch | identical; fully corresponding | matching details, content or identity | Adjective; identisch mit + dative |
ähnlich
Meaning and usage: Use ähnlich when things have features in common without claiming they match completely. The context selects the features: two words may look similar while their meanings differ.
Grammar: Before a noun, use adjective endings: ähnliche Wörter. After sein, the adjective is unchanged. The compared person or thing can be dative: jemandem ähnlich sein. Similar in a manner can use ähnlich wie.
Die beiden Wörter sehen ähnlich aus.
The two words look similar.
Sie ist ihrer Schwester sehr ähnlich.
She is very similar to her sister.
gleich
Meaning and usage: Use gleich for equality or sameness in a relevant property, such as age, quantity or a chosen design. It need not describe every possible property of the things compared. Gleich also has a separate time meaning, 'soon,' which is not the sense discussed here.
Grammar: Before a noun, inflect it: die gleiche Größe. Predicative or adverbial use remains unchanged: die Größen sind gleich; gleich groß. A comparison can use gleich ... wie.
Die beiden Taschen sind gleich groß.
The two bags are the same size.
Wir haben die gleiche Frage.
We have the same question.
identisch
Meaning and usage: Use identisch when you want to emphasize complete correspondence in the relevant details, or establish that someone or something is the same identified entity. The intended scope matters.
Grammar: An inflectable adjective: identische Kopien. Predicative identisch stays unchanged. The comparison partner normally uses mit + dative.
Die beiden Textversionen sind identisch.
The two versions of the text are identical.
Diese Datei ist mit der gespeicherten Kopie identisch.
This file is identical to the saved copy.
Overlap and context
For duplicate text, gleich and identisch can both fit; identisch makes the exact match more explicit. Gleich groß limits equality to size, while ähnlich groß allows some difference. If physical identity matters, explain it explicitly rather than assuming these adjectives always encode the contrast between one object and two matching objects.
Common mistakes
- Use dative with ähnlich in jemandem ähnlich sein.
- Use mit after identisch, rather than automatically copying English 'to.'
- Do not treat ähnlich as a weaker translation of every use of gleich; equal numbers are a different kind of claim.
Memory aid: Ähnlich shares features; gleich matches the relevant property; identisch stresses an exact match.
Try it
Two bags have matching dimensions but different colors. Complete: Sie sind ___ groß.
Show the answer
gleich
The statement claims equality of size, not identity in every feature.