# die Hauptsache

die Hauptsache is a German noun meaning “main thing”. Forms: der Hauptsache, die Hauptsachen.

## Forms

- Genitive: der Hauptsache
- Plural: die Hauptsachen

## In other languages

- Русский: главное, сущность

## Noun

1. main thing, most important thing
   - „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?“
2. main issue

## Conjunction

1. _colloquial_ as long as, expresses that the following is the most important goal, prioritised over anything else
   - 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.
2. _colloquial_ at least, most importantly, specifically, expresses gladness about a fact being true even if other things might not be ideal (i.e. Glück im Unglück)
   - Hauptsache, es geht dir gut. — At least / most importantly, you are well / unharmed.

## Examples

- Die Hauptsache ist, dass wir zusammen sind. — The important thing is that we're together.
- Geduld ist die Hauptsache bei einem Lehrer. — Patience is essential for a teacher.
- Du bist heil und gesund. Das ist die Hauptsache. — You're safe and sound. That's the important thing.
- Hauptsache es gibt dort ein Bett! — Anywhere with a bed will do.
- Hauptsache, ich bedeute einer kleinen Zahl an Leuten etwas. — What matters is that I mean something to some small number of people.

## Related words

- Antonym: Nebensache

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Sources: Meanings and forms from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR).
URL: https://wordwide.space/de-en/wort/Hauptsache