geschäftlich

Geschäftlich is a German term used as both an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective, it means “related to business” or “commercial” and is used to describe things connected with business activities, commerce, or professional affairs. As an adverb, it means “on business” or “for business purposes,” and can modify verbs or whole phrases, for example: Ich bin geschäftlich unterwegs (I am away on business).

Common noun phrases include geschäftliche Angelegenheiten (business matters), geschäftliche Reise (business trip), and geschäftliche Kontakte (business contacts). The adverbial sense is often found in sentences like Wir reden heute geschäftlich, indicating the discussion is for business reasons.

Etymology and usage notes: geschäftlich is derived from the noun Geschäft (business or deal) with the adjectival suffix -lich. It is widely used across German-speaking regions, including Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland, in formal and everyday business language. It contrasts with privat (private) in contexts involving travel, communication, finances, or responsibilities that pertain to business rather than personal matters. Phrases such as aus geschäftlichen Gründen (for business reasons) and geschäftliche Beziehungen (business relationships) illustrate its common applications.

In translation, geschäftlich can be rendered as “business,” “business-related,” or the phrase “on business,” depending on the syntactic role and nuance in the sentence. It is a standard term in corporate, administrative, and legal German.