gerne
/ˈɡɛrnə/
The English word 'gladly' is translated into German as gerne.
In German, gerne is most commonly used to express that one enjoys doing an activity rather than just expressing a willingness to do it. While it can mean 'willingly', it is more frequently used to mean 'with pleasure' or to indicate that you like doing something, such as in the sentence 'Ich esse gerne Pizza' (I like eating pizza).
Meaning: willingly, certainly (adv)
Which one should you use?
While gerne can mean 'willingly', its primary function is often to express enjoyment of an action. For a more formal way to say 'gladly' that translates literally to 'with joy', you can use Mit Freude.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form gern is an identical synonym to gerne and is used interchangeably in almost all contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡɛrnə/
When do people say it?
When someone thanks you, you can respond with the common phrase gern geschehen, which means 'you're welcome' or 'my pleasure'.
Did you know?
- When you want to express a preference in German, you often use the word lieber, which is the comparative form of gerne and literally translates to 'more gladly'.
- In a German restaurant, a server saying Gerne! in response to an order acts as both an acknowledgment of the request and a confirmation that they are happy to do it.
- The phrase gern geschehen functions as a standard way to say 'you are welcome', even though a literal translation would be 'gladly happened'.
Examples in context
- Tom stimmte gerne zu.Tom gladly agreed.This sentence uses gerne to show someone agreed willingly.Tatoeba #6618907 by Felixjp, translation #2236305 by CK
- Ich helfe Ihnen gerne.I'll gladly help you.This sentence uses gerne to express willingness to help.Tatoeba #1553273 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6666911 by CK
- Das mache ich doch gerne.I will do it gladly.This sentence uses gerne to express a willingness to do something.Tatoeba #2300974 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2267144 by _undertoad
- Ich helfe Ihnen mit Freude.I gladly help you.
- Ich komme gerne zu Ihrer Veranstaltung.I would be happy to come to your event.
- Ja, ich gehe gern mit dir ins Kino.Yes, I'd gladly go to the movies with you.
- Ich gehe mit Vergnügen auf deine Party.I'll gladly come to your party.
- Ich helfe dir gerne bei deinem Projekt.I gladly help you with your project.
- Wir würden uns freuen, Sie auf unserer Veranstaltung zu sehen.We would be glad/would love to see you at our event.
- Ja, ich bin gern dabei.Yes, I'd gladly be a part of it.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah asks Felix to help her carry a box.
- SarahKannst du mir kurz helfen, Felix?Can you help me for a moment, Felix?
- FelixJa, das mache ich gerne!Yes, I'll gladly do that!
- SarahVielen Dank, das ist sehr nett.Thank you very much, that is very kind.
- FelixKein Problem, ich helfe dir gerne.No problem, I am happy to help you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gerne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
