Adverb

ernsthaft

Translation

seriously, earnestly, genuinely, gravely

Wir müssen ernsthaft darüber reden.

We need to talk about it seriously.

Er ist ernsthaft krank.

He is seriously ill.

Sie sucht ernsthaft eine neue Arbeit.

She is seriously looking for a new job.

(as an adverb) seriously We need to talk about it seriously.

(as an adjective) serious He is a serious candidate.

Synonyms: ernstlich, wirklich, tatsächlich; Antonyms: scherzhaft, spielerisch

Composed of 'Ernst' (seriousness) and the suffix '-haft,' which means 'having the quality of.' So, it literally means 'possessing seriousness'.

Add '-haft' to 'Ernst' to turn the noun 'seriousness' into an adverb or adjective. It's like adding '-ly' in English, as in 'serious' vs 'seriously'.