German · Emotions & Descriptions

"Different" in German: anders

anders

Say it: AN-dersadjective/ˈandɐs/

Note: also: verschieden

Different in German is often anders. Say Das ist anders or Anders als gestern. Verschieden is close but a different word.

Taste test

Heute schmeckt der Kaffee anders.
Today the coffee tastes different.
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How to pronounce anders

Say it

AN-ders

/ˈandɐs/

AN-ders. Stress AN; soft -ders.

"Different" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
andersdifferent

Default everyday word.

ganz anderscompletely different

Stronger.

anders alsdifferent from

Comparison.

verschiedenvarious / different

Different near synonym.

How to use anders in real life

  1. 1Taste test

    Heute schmeckt der Kaffee anders.

    Today the coffee tastes different.

    Change noticed.

  2. 2Plan B

    Lass uns etwas ganz anders versuchen.

    Let's try something completely different.

    Ganz anders.

  3. 3Comparison

    Dein Stil ist anders als meiner.

    Your style is different from mine.

    Anders als.

Mistakes English speakers make with anders

Incorrect: Das ist verschieden (as the only headword).

Correct: Das ist anders.

Verschieden is a different word; the headword here is anders.

Incorrect: Es ist different.

Correct: Es ist anders.

Use anders, not English different.

Good to know

Anders is the go-to for "not the same." Verschieden often means various kinds. Marketing loves anders gedacht for creative pitches. Soft disagreement can be Ich sehe das anders.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Comparing two apartment layouts

  1. ChatPal

    Diese Küche wirkt total anders.

    This kitchen looks totally different.

  2. You

    Ja, anders als die erste Wohnung.

    Yes, different from the first apartment.

  3. ChatPal

    Findest du anders besser oder schlechter?

    Do you find different better or worse?

  4. You

    Anders ist hier besser mehr Licht.

    Different is better here — more light.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Different" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Different" in German

How do you say different?

Anders.

Different from?

Anders als…

Is verschieden the same?

Close meaning, different word; headword is anders.

I see it differently?

Ich sehe das anders.

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