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German Phrase

Ich versuche immer, gerecht zu sein.

/ɪç fɛɐ̯ˈzʊχə ˈɪmɐ ˈɡɛʁçtə t͡suː zaɪ̯n/
Meaning"I always try to be fair."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘I always try to be fair.’ The speaker is expressing a continuous personal effort to act justly in situations that require a moral judgment.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to explain your ethical stance, especially in discussions about decision‑making, conflict resolution, or personal values. It works well in both informal conversations and more formal contexts such as a job interview or a team meeting.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Ichversucheimmer,gerechtzusein.

1

Pronoun (Ich)

Personal pronoun for the first person singular, always capitalised in German.

2

Verb (versuchen)

Regular verb in present tense, 1st person singular: ich versuche – ‘I try’.

3

Adverb (immer)

Means ‘always’; placed directly after the verb in most cases.

4

zu‑Infinitive

After verbs like versuchen, the infinitive is introduced by ‘zu’ (zu sein).

5

Adjective (gerecht)

Means ‘fair’ or ‘just’; used here as a predicative adjective before the infinitive.

6

Infinitive (sein)

The infinitive of ‘to be’; combined with ‘zu’ to express the action you are trying to perform.

🗨In Conversation

A

Wie gehst du mit schwierigen Entscheidungen um?

How do you handle difficult decisions?

Ich versuche immer, gerecht zu sein.

I always try to be fair.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich versuche immer gerecht zu sein.

    Missing comma after ‘immer’ can make the sentence harder to parse; the comma separates the main clause from the infinitive clause.

  • Ich versuchen immer, gerecht zu sein.

    Using the infinitive ‘versuchen’ without conjugation (e.g., ‘Ich versuchen…’) is incorrect; the verb must be conjugated to match the subject.

  • Ich versuche immer, gerecht sein.

    Dropping ‘zu’ (e.g., ‘Ich versuche immer, gerecht sein’) breaks the required zu‑infinitive construction after ‘versuchen’.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich bemühe mich stets, gerecht zu handeln.

    I always strive to act fairly.

  • Ich lege großen Wert darauf, gerecht zu sein.

    I place great importance on being fair.

  • Ich versuche immer, gerecht zu bleiben.

    I always try to stay fair.

de

Cultural Tip

In German, fairness (Gerechtigkeit) is a highly valued trait, especially in professional and legal contexts. Using ‘immer’ signals a strong, consistent commitment. Avoid over‑using the phrase in casual chit‑chat, as it can sound overly moralistic if not backed by concrete examples.