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Translation help needed German to English - one word

15 replies

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 19/06/2020 14:49

I ask herer because cunning linguists seems so empty.
Google tanslate doesn't help, neither does linguee or dict.

I need to translate the verb 'gönnen' into English - the meaning is:
'to take pleasure in the happiness and good fortune of sb else' - which is too long.

OP posts:
kakiqueen · 19/06/2020 14:52

Hi. Do you have the sentence please?
I can help.

eggofmantumbi · 19/06/2020 14:56

Yeah definitely needs context

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 19/06/2020 14:59

Thank you!
DD needs the word, the sentence is not yet ready, if we can't find the word she'll rephrase.
Sth along the lines:
"Sie konnte sich Arabisch als zweite Fremdsprache anrechnen lassen. Das hat es ihr einfacher gemacht. Ich gönn' ihr das."

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efeslight · 19/06/2020 15:11

Be pleased for her?

TintinandSnowy · 19/06/2020 15:15

I learnt the word gönnen as "not to begrudge someone something", so for the last sentence you could say something like "I don't begrudge her that"

TintinandSnowy · 19/06/2020 15:31

Or maybe "I give her that"

acocadochocolate · 19/06/2020 16:46

Last sentence "I'm really pleased for her"

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 19/06/2020 17:16

Thanks for all your efforts!
I think 'don't begrudge' comes closest, but to me seems to have a slightly negative spin (ich missgönne es ihr nicht) ... which is not quite the same.

Does 'not begrunde' convey genuinely felt joy?

OP posts:
Pinkblueberry · 19/06/2020 17:21

I agree it’s like the opposite of ‘begrudge’ for which there isn’t really a word for in English that I can think of.

PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock · 19/06/2020 17:31

Relish in her happiness/success?

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 19/06/2020 17:31

Pinkblueberry
Usually English has a word for everyhing or several ....

Ok - DD has decided to rephrase the whole thing and go with 'glad' it's not quite what she wanted to say but there's no negativity. (I love semantics.)

OP posts:
SheWranglesRugRats · 19/06/2020 17:33

Chuffed for her

Pinkblueberry · 19/06/2020 17:48

@Prokupatuscrakedatus I know, there’s more words in English than in many any other languages, we’ve missed the boat hear.

‘Chuffed for her’ isn’t bad.

I speak both fluently but nothing has quite the same ring to it as ‘gönnen’ even if it means a similar thing.

PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock · 19/06/2020 17:51

Vicariously enjoy?

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 19/06/2020 18:18

I've given her your words, but she'll stick to 'glad' with embellishments.

Vicariously isn't on the right level of (in)formality.

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