gönnen

== German == === Etymology === From Middle High German gunnen, from Old High German giunnan, from Proto-West Germanic *gaunnan (“to grant”), from *ga- +‎ *unnan, from Proto-Germanic *unnaną (“to grant”). Cognate with Dutch gunnen, Yiddish גינען (ginen). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡœnən/ === Verb === gönnen (weak, third-person singular present gönnt, past tense gönnte, past participle gegönnt, auxiliary haben) (ditransitive) to bestow, to indulge (someone's wishes), to treat to, to spoil (ditransitive) to be happy for someone because of their good fortune ==== Usage notes ==== Often used ironically or tongue-in-cheek, meaning that what is given has little value considering the reluctance with which it is given. This leads to a number of colloquial expressions which are, allowing for hyperbole, self-explanatory. For example: jemandem das Schwarze unter den Nägeln nicht gönnen ― to not grant the dirt under someone's fingernails. However, the full nuances are difficult to express in a simple term and can be used in innocent sincerity. ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== Gunst günstig begünstigen === Further reading === “gönnen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “gönnen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “gönnen” in Duden online “gönnen” in OpenThesaurus.de