Vocabulary
offenbar
/ˈɔfn̩baːɐ̯/· adverb
apparently, evidently
The reporter's hedge — it looks that way from the evidence: „Der Fahrer war offenbar zu schnell.“
CEFR B1Frequency ●●●●●
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
Forms
- Unterschied
- offenbar = nach allem, was man sieht · offensichtlich = klar erkennbar · angeblich = jemand behauptet es
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
offenbar
apparently (judging by the evidence)
Die Täter kamen offenbar durch das Fenster.
The perpetrators apparently came in through the window.
Word family
offenbaroffenopenoffenbarento revealdie Offenbarungrevelation
Common combinations
- Offenbar handelt es sich um …Apparently it is …
- offenbar ohne Grundapparently for no reason
- wie offenbar geplantas was apparently planned
Similar & opposite
≈ Synonyms
anscheinendoffensichtlichallem Anschein nach
Common learner mistakes
- Der Fahrer war scheinbar zu schnell.Der Fahrer war offenbar zu schnell.Strictly, scheinbar means 'only seemingly (but not really)'; for 'apparently' careful German uses offenbar or anscheinend.
Real examples
- Der Fahrer war offenbar zu schnell unterwegs.The driver was apparently going too fast.
- Offenbar handelt es sich um ein Missverständnis.Apparently it is a misunderstanding.
- Die Warnung wurde offenbar ignoriert.The warning was apparently ignored.
