When teaching German, I often hear students confusing the German “meistens” with “am meisten”. Find out in this article what each word really means and how you should use them.

Confusing two similar words

The reason why many German students mix up those two words is quite apparent: they look almost the same. In addition, insecurity often adds to a similar look if you have not studied them adequately. The result is a huge confusion. So, let’s discuss their meaning in the following.

Recommended study materials on the topic:

1. A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)

2. German self-study book for A1-B1  (incl. answers)

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The meaning of "meistens"

The English translation for this German word is “mostly,” “most of the time” or “usually.” “Meistens” is an adverb that describes the verb in your sentence more in detail.

For example: 

• Ich esse meistens Müsli zum Frühstück. (I mostly eat cereal for breakfast.)

• Meistens mache ich meine Hausaufgaben. (Most of the time, I do my homework.)

The meaning of "am meisten"

In contrast, “am meisten” is the superlative form of the adverb “viel” (much). The superlative means the “most of” version.

• Positiv: viel (much)

• Komparativ: mehr (more)

• Superlativ: am meisten (the most)

For example: 

• Welches Buch gefällt dir am meisten? (Which book do you like the most?)

"Mostly" or "the most"

I hope that after reading this article, you finally understood when to use which one. However, if you are still confused about these two words, you can use the following trick. 

1. “Meistens” is only one word, just like “mostly.”

2. “Am meisten” consists of two words, exactly like “the most.”

Also, check out the difference between müssen and dürfen that also frequently get confused. 

Bis bald!

Steffie

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