Das ist genau richtig.

That is exactly right.

Breakdown of Das ist genau richtig.

• sein: to be
• das: that
• richtig: right
• genau: carefully

Questions & Answers about Das ist genau richtig.

In Das ist genau richtig., what exactly does das mean? Does it mean this, that, or it?

Das here is a demonstrative pronoun. It can usually be translated as:

• That is exactly right.
• This is exactly right.
• Sometimes also just It’s exactly right.

Which English word you choose (this/that/it) depends on the context and what you’re pointing to or talking about, not on a different German word. Das is the normal way in German to refer back to:

• a whole sentence or idea
• something you just talked about
• something you can point at

So if someone gives an answer and you respond Das ist genau richtig., you’re saying That’s exactly right. about what they said.

What is the difference between das and es in a sentence like this? Could I say Es ist genau richtig.?

Both das and es can refer to something neutral like it/this/that, but they are not always interchangeable.

• Das ist genau richtig.

  • More pointing / demonstrative.
  • Often used to comment on something just said or shown.
  • Feels a bit more emphatic, like That is exactly right.

• Es ist genau richtig.

  • More like a neutral it.
  • Often used when the subject is more abstract or already grammatically introduced (e.g. Das Buch ist teuer. Es ist genau richtig für dich.).

In everyday speech, Das ist genau richtig. is the more typical reply when evaluating someone’s statement or solution.

Why is Das capitalized? Is it always capitalized?

Here Das is capitalized only because it is the first word of the sentence.

In general:

• The pronoun das (meaning that/this/it) is normally lowercase:
  
  • Ich glaube, das ist richtig.
• At the beginning of a sentence, all words are capitalized, so you see Das.

So this Das is not capitalized because it’s a noun; it’s capitalized because every sentence in German starts with a capital letter.

What exactly does genau add to the meaning of richtig? How is genau richtig different from just richtig?

• richtig on its own means right / correct:

  • Das ist richtig. = That is correct.

• genau means exact(ly) or precisely.

So:

• Das ist richtig.
  
  • That is correct.
• Das ist genau richtig.
  
  • That is exactly right / absolutely right / just right.
  • Stronger, more emphatic. It suggests the answer or solution is not only correct, but precisely what you wanted or needed.

So genau intensifies richtig and adds the nuance of precision or perfect suitability.

Is genau an adjective or an adverb here? What is it modifying?

In Das ist genau richtig., genau functions as an adverb modifying the adjective richtig.

• richtig = adjective (right/correct)
• genau = adverb (exactly/precisely) answering how right? → exactly right

So the structure is like English:

• exactly right
• genau richtig

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Das ist richtig genau instead?

No, you cannot say Das ist richtig genau in this meaning.

The normal and correct order is:

• Das ist genau richtig.
  (adverb genau before the adjective richtig)

German adverbs like genau, when they modify an adjective, almost always come directly before that adjective:

• sehr gut (very good)
• ziemlich schwer (quite difficult)
• unglaublich wichtig (incredibly important)
• genau richtig (exactly right)

Switching them (richtig genau) sounds wrong or changes meaning in a way that doesn’t fit here.

What is the difference between richtig and korrekt? Could I say Das ist genau korrekt. instead?

richtig and korrekt overlap a lot, but they feel slightly different:

• richtig

  • Most common everyday word for right / correct.
  • Neutral, natural in almost all contexts.
  • Works for facts, answers, moral judgments, etc.

• korrekt

  • Slightly more formal or technical.
  • Common in written language, school/academic settings, official evaluations.
  • In speech it can sound a bit stiff or overly formal depending on context.

You can say:

• Das ist korrekt. (That is correct.)
• Das ist völlig korrekt. (That is completely correct.)

Das ist genau korrekt. is grammatically possible but less idiomatic than Das ist genau richtig. For everyday speech, richtig is the better, more natural choice here.

How is Das ist genau richtig. different from Das stimmt.?

Both can express that something is correct, but they’re used a bit differently:

• Das ist (genau) richtig.

  • Literally That is (exactly) right.
  • More explicit evaluation of correctness.
  • You can easily add nuances: ganz richtig, völlig richtig, teilweise richtig, etc.

• Das stimmt.

  • Literally That is true / That’s right.
  • Very common, short agreement or confirmation in conversation.
  • Less formal; more like Yep, that’s right.

So if you want to sound like you’re clearly judging something as (exactly) correct, Das ist genau richtig. is great. For quick everyday agreement, Das stimmt. is more common.

Are there other similar expressions to genau richtig that a learner should know?

Yes, a few very common ones:

• ganz richtig – completely right
  
  • Das ist ganz richtig. = That’s completely right.
• völlig richtig – totally/right in every way
  
  • Stronger emphasis.
• absolut richtig – absolutely right
• richtig so – literally right like that, often used when something is done correctly:
  
  • Ja, das ist richtig so. = Yes, that’s right as it is.

genau richtig has the nuance that something is not just correct, but perfectly fitting / exactly what is needed.

In what kind of situations would a native speaker naturally say Das ist genau richtig.?

Typical situations:

• Confirming an answer:
  A student gives the correct answer; the teacher says:
  Das ist genau richtig.

• Approving a decision or solution:
  Someone suggests a plan you fully agree with:
  Das ist genau richtig. (That’s exactly right / exactly the right thing to do.)

• Praising the degree of something:
  Trying on clothes, checking spice level, etc.:
  Die Größe ist genau richtig. – The size is exactly right.
  Die Schärfe ist genau richtig. – The spiciness is just right.

So it’s often used to show strong approval that something is perfectly appropriate or exactly correct.