Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.

to be

Breakdown of Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.

• das Ziel: the goal
• durchaus: indeed
• erreichbar: achievable

Questions & Answers about Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.

What exactly does durchaus mean in this sentence, and how would you translate the whole sentence naturally into English?

In this context, durchaus means something like quite, fully, entirely, or definitely. It emphasizes that the goal really is achievable, often in the sense of “contrary to what you might think” or “even if it seems difficult, it’s still realistic.”

Natural translations:

• The goal is definitely achievable.
• The goal is quite achievable.
• The goal is perfectly attainable.

A very literal translation like “The goal is entirely reachable” is grammatically OK but sounds less natural in everyday English.

Is durchaus positive or negative? I sometimes see it with nicht.

On its own, durchaus is neutral in polarity but often has a positive effect: it strengthens what you’re saying.

• Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.
  → Strongly positive: the goal really is achievable.

With nicht, it strengthens the negation:

• Das ist durchaus nicht einfach.
  → “That is by no means easy / definitely not easy.”

So durchaus itself isn’t “positive” or “negative”; it intensifies whatever it modifies (a statement or a negation).

Where does durchaus usually go in the sentence? Could I say Das Ziel ist erreichbar durchaus?

In standard usage, durchaus goes in the middle field, usually before the adjective or adverb it modifies:

• Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.

Other normal positions:

• Dieses Ziel ist durchaus noch erreichbar.
• Das ist durchaus möglich.

Putting it at the very end like Das Ziel ist erreichbar, durchaus is possible only as a special, stylistic emphasis (roughly like adding “indeed” or “actually” after a pause in English). In neutral, everyday German, keep durchaus before the adjective:

• ✅ Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.
• ❌ Das Ziel ist erreichbar durchaus. (unusual / sounds wrong in normal speech)

What part of speech is erreichbar here? Is it an adjective or a verb?

Erreichbar here is an adjective formed from the verb erreichen (to reach, to achieve).

• Das Ziel – the subject (noun)
• ist – the verb sein (to be)
• durchaus erreichbar – predicative adjective phrase describing das Ziel

So structurally it’s like:

• Das Ziel ist groß. – The goal is big.
• Das Ziel ist erreichbar. – The goal is achievable.

It is not a verb form in this sentence.

Why do we say ist erreichbar instead of using a passive form like kann erreicht werden?

Both are correct but they have slightly different nuances:

• Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.
  Literally “The goal is definitely achievable.”
  → Describes a property of the goal; it sounds more general and less technical.

• Das Ziel kann erreicht werden.
  “The goal can be achieved.”
  → More explicitly describes possibility in terms of action; also fine, but feels a bit more formal/mechanical.

In everyday speech, sein + -bar-adjective (like ist erreichbar, ist machbar) is very common to express that something is feasible.

Can I say Das Ziel ist sehr erreichbar instead of durchaus erreichbar?

Technically, sehr and durchaus are both intensifiers, but sehr erreichbar sounds odd to native speakers. With adjectives like erreichbar, machbar, möglich, sehr is used less often on its own.

More natural options:

• Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.
• Das Ziel ist gut erreichbar.
• Das Ziel ist leicht erreichbar.
• Das Ziel ist ohne Weiteres erreichbar.

You can say Das Ziel ist sehr gut erreichbar, but you’d usually combine sehr with another adjective:

• Das Ziel ist sehr gut erreichbar.
  → Very natural.

So: prefer durchaus erreichbar, gut erreichbar, leicht erreichbar, etc., rather than sehr erreichbar.

What is the grammatical role and case of das Ziel here, and why is it das and not die?

Das Ziel is the subject of the sentence and is in the nominative case.

• Das Ziel – nominative singular, neuter noun
• ist – verb (3rd person singular)
• durchaus erreichbar – predicate describing the subject

The article is das because the noun Ziel is grammatically neuter in German:

• das Ziel – the goal
• die Ziele – the goals (plural)

So we say:

• Das Ziel ist …
• not Die Ziel ist … (wrong gender)
• and not Dem Ziel ist … (wrong case for subject)

Is Ziel always “goal,” or can it mean other things in English too?

Ziel usually corresponds to:

• goal
• objective
• aim
• target

Which English word you choose depends on context:

• Personal ambitions: goal
  → Mein Ziel ist, Deutsch zu lernen. – “My goal is to learn German.”
• Business or project settings: objective / goal
  → Das Projektziel ist durchaus erreichbar. – “The project objective is definitely achievable.”
• Shooting, marketing, etc.: target
  → Das Ziel ist in Sicht. – “The target is in sight.”

In your sentence, The goal is definitely achievable and The objective is definitely achievable are both fine.

What nuance does durchaus add compared with just saying Das Ziel ist erreichbar?

Without durchaus:

• Das Ziel ist erreichbar.
  → Neutral statement: the goal is achievable.

With durchaus:

• Das Ziel ist durchaus erreichbar.
  → Stronger: the speaker is emphasizing that the goal is indeed achievable, maybe against doubts or pessimism.

It can suggest:

• “Even if it looks hard, it’s still achievable.”
• “Don’t underestimate it; it really is achievable.”

So durchaus adds emphasis and sometimes a slightly reassuring or corrective tone.

Could I say Das Ziel ist durchaus zu erreichen instead of durchaus erreichbar? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Das Ziel ist durchaus zu erreichen.

Both mean that the goal can be achieved, but the feel is slightly different:

• ist erreichbar – uses the adjectival form, sounds a bit more compact and neutral.
• ist zu erreichen – literally “is to be reached,” feels a bit more like “can be reached” or “is possible to reach,” sometimes slightly more formal or process-focused.

In many contexts they’re interchangeable, and ist durchaus erreichbar is very idiomatic and probably the most common phrasing.