German · Emotions & Descriptions
"Serious" in German: ernst
ernst
Serious in German is ernst. Say Das ist ernst or Er sieht ernst aus. Im Ernst? means Are you serious?. Ernsthaft can mean serious or earnestly.
Health talk
Der Arzt klingt heute sehr ernst.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ernst
Say it
airnst
/ɛʁnst/
airnst. Soft r. Final st crisp.
"Serious" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ernst | serious Tone, situation, person. | Tone, situation, person. |
| im Ernst | seriously? / for real? Surprise question. | Surprise question. |
| ernsthaft | serious / earnest Attitude or sincerity. | Attitude or sincerity. |
| Ernst nehmen | to take seriously Common verb combo. | Common verb combo. |
How to use ernst in real life
- 1Health talk
Der Arzt klingt heute sehr ernst.
The doctor sounds very serious today.
Sehr ernst.
- 2Work warning
Das Problem ist ernst und braucht einen Plan.
The problem is serious and needs a plan.
Ist ernst.
- 3Reaction
Im Ernst? Du kündigst wirklich?
Seriously? You're really quitting?
Im Ernst.
Mistakes English speakers make with ernst
Incorrect: Er ist serious.
Correct: Er ist ernst.
Use ernst.
Incorrect: ernste Mann
Correct: ernster Mann
Masculine nominative needs -er: ernster.
Good to know
Germans separate Spaß from Ernst quickly in conversation. Saying Das meine ich ernst signals you're not joking. Soften bad news with leider before sounding too ernst.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking if a joke went too far
ChatPal
War das ein Scherz, oder bist du ernst?
Was that a joke, or are you serious?
You
Ich bin ernst. Wir müssen das klären.
I'm serious. We have to sort this out.
ChatPal
Okay. Dann nehmen wir es ernst.
Okay. Then we'll take it seriously.
You
Danke. Ernst hilft hier mehr als Ironie.
Thanks. Seriousness helps more than irony here.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Serious" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Serious" in German
How do you say serious?
Ernst.
Are you serious?
Im Ernst? / Meinst du das ernst?
Take seriously?
Ernst nehmen.
Ernsthaft?
Close synonym for earnest/serious tone.
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
