Natürlich

natürlich is a German word that functions as an adjective, an adverb, and an interjection. As an adjective it means “natural,” in the sense of belonging to nature or produced by nature without artificial modification: natürliche Farben, natürliche Lebensweise. As an adverb it commonly means “in a natural way” or “as expected/inevitable,” and in colloquial speech can intensify a statement: Sie hat natürlich recht. The word can also be used as an exclamation: Natürlich! meaning “Of course!”

Etymology and related forms: The form is built from Natur, meaning nature, plus the suffix -lich (‘-like’ or ‘-ly’), with roots in Middle High German natuërlîch and Old High German. It has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch natuurlijk and English natural, and is historically related to Latin natura through a shared Indo-European heritage.

Usage notes: In everyday language, natürlich contrasts with künstlich (“artificial”). It can express obviousness or inevitability, as in Es ist natürlich gefährlich (It is naturally/obviously dangerous). In marketing or media, the term is sometimes used to imply authenticity, which can invite critical scrutiny if overused or misleading. As a core term in descriptions of nature, authenticity, and everyday reasoning, natürlich remains common across formal and informal registers.