411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Hauptsache
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
German
de:
Etymology
From de gmh houbetsache, equivalent to de haupt Sache. Cognate with gml hȫvetsāke.
Pronunciation
de /ˈhaʊ̯ptˌzaxə/
de De-Hauptsache.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
de Haupt sa che
Noun
f
main thing, most important thing
de 1931 w:Arthur Schnitzler s:de:Flucht in die Finsternis S. Fischer Verlag 141 „Vielleicht bin ich sogar verrückt. Ich will es nicht in Abrede stellen. Aber wenn ich es bin, so fühle ich mich sehr wohl dabei. Und das ist doch die Hauptsache, nicht?“ „Maybe I am even crazy. I don't want to deny it. But if I am, I am feeling very good with it. And that is the most important thing, isn't it?“
de legal main issue
Declension
f
Antonyms
de Nebensache
Derived terms
de hauptsächlich
Related terms
de Hauptgeschehen Hauptbühne Hauptfrage Hauptprodukt Hauptpunkt Hauptstadt Hauptstraße Sachfrage Sachlichkeit tatsächlich Ansichtssache Verschlusssache Privatsache
Conjunction
de conjunction
de informal as long as, expresses that the following is the most important goal, prioritised over anything else
de Er scherte sich nicht um die Folgen, Hauptsache, er bekam sein Geld. He didn't care about the consequences, as long as he got his money.
de Es kann auch gebraucht sein, Hauptsache (es ist) billig. It can be secondhand, as long as it's cheap.
de informal at least, most importantly, specifically, expresses gladness about a fact being true even if other things might not be ideal (i.e. de Glück im Unglück)
de Hauptsache, es geht dir gut. At least / most importantly, you are well / unharmed.
Further reading