hauptsächlich

Hauptsächlich is a German adverb meaning mainly, primarily, predominantly, or essentially. It indicates that something comprises the largest part or the most important aspect of a statement, situation, or effect. The word is formed from Haupt- (main, chief) combined with the suffix -sächlich, which in German is used to derive adjectives and adverbs related to a matter or essence. The combination functions adverbially in modern German.

Usage: Hauptsächlich modifies verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or whole clauses, and is invariable. It is placed before the element it modifies, commonly after the finite verb in simple clauses. Examples: Die Einnahmen stammen hauptsächlich aus dem Verkauf. Das Problem war hauptsächlich technischer Natur. Viele Besucher kamen hauptsächlich wegen der Ausstellungen. It can also appear sentence-initially for emphasis: Hauptsächlich geht es um Finanzierung.

Nuance: It signals the dominant part but does not exclude other factors. It is stronger than "meistens" in stressing primary cause or component, but weaker than "ausschließlich" (exclusively). In English it translates as mainly, primarily, chiefly, essentially. Common synonyms in German include vorwiegend, größtenteils, überwiegend, zumeist.

Usage tips: When translating, choose based on whether you want to express the main focus (primarily), or the greatest part (mostly). In technical or formal writing, phrases like "hauptsächlich aus X" help to clarify the main source or reason.