teils

Teils is a German adverb meaning partly or in part. It is used to indicate that a statement applies only to a portion of a situation or is true to some extent, rather than wholly. The word is invariable and can connect clauses or modify a claim to hedge its scope. In many contexts it appears in paired constructions such as teils … teils, which emphasizes contrasting partial states, or alongside other hedges like teils vielleicht or teils jedoch.

Origin and relation to other terms: Teils derives from Teil, meaning part or portion. It is closely related to the phrase zum Teil and to the synonym teilweise, which both convey partiality but with different nuance or formality. While teils highlights partial aspects within a statement, teilweile and teilweise tend to foreground the partial nature more strongly.

Usage notes: Teils can appear at the beginning or inside a sentence, often separated by a comma when contrasts are expressed. It is common in both formal and informal writing. As a modifier, it does not inflect for gender, number, or case, because it functions as an adverb.

Examples:

- Die Ergebnisse sind teils eindeutig, teils unsicher.

- Der Plan ist teils umgesetzt, teils müsste er angepasst werden.

- Zum Teil war die Ursache klar, teils blieb sie ungeklärt.

See also: Teil, Teilweise, Zum Teil, In Teilen. Teils is one of several German expressions used to denote partiality or partial agreement, and can be used interchangeably with teils and teilweise depending on tone and register.