gern

English

Etymology

See grin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɜː(ɹ)n/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)n
• Homophone: gurn

Verb

gern (third-person singular simple present gerns, present participle gerning, simple past and past participle gerned)

1. (obsolete) To grin.
2. (obsolete) To yawn.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 13:

     [He] gaped like a gulfe, when he did gerne, / That whether man or monster one could scarse discerne

References

• “gern”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Eng'r, Engr, Gren., engr., gren

German

Alternative forms

• gerne (both forms are roughly equally frequent)

Etymology

From Middle High German gerne, from Old High German gerno, from Proto-West Germanic *gernō, from Proto-Germanic *gernô (“willingly, gladly”), an adverbial form of *gernaz (“eager, willing”). Akin to German Low German geren (Paderbornisch), Dutch gaarne, English yern, Swedish gärna, Danish gerne.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛrn/, [ɡɛʁn], [ɡɛɐ̯n]
• Rhymes: -ɛʁn

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

Adverb

gern (comparative lieber, superlative am liebsten)

1. willingly; gladly; with pleasure; usually expressed verbally in English, with like, enjoy etc.

   Markus fährt gern Fahrrad.

   Markus enjoys biking.

2. (only with mögen) much; a lot

   Dieses Lied mag ich gern.

   I like this song a lot.

3. (chiefly informal) easily; often

   Mir wird gern mal schlecht im Auto.

   I easily feel sick in the car.

4. Used to indicate a preference.

   Ich schlafe gern in meinem eigenen Bett.

   I prefer sleeping in my own bed.

Usage notes

• It's common to use gern(e), often with mögen in the subjunctive, to make requests more polite, regardless of frequency or enjoyment:

  Ich möchte dieses Kleid gerne anprobieren. ― I'd like to try on this dress please.

Derived terms

• gernhaben, gern haben
• gut und gern

Further reading

• “gern” in Duden online
• “gern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hunsrik

Etymology

Inherited from Central Franconian gään, from Middle High German gerne, from Old High German gerno, from Proto-West Germanic *gernō, from Proto-Germanic *gernô.

Cognate with German gern and Luxembourgish gär.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Hyphenation: gern

Adverb

gern

1. willingly; gladly

Usage notes

• When used with verbs, gern can have the same function of like in English, in the sense of "enjoying doing something": Ich schlofe gern ― I like sleeping.

Derived terms

• gern hon
• fer gern

Old High German

Alternative forms

• gerni

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gern, from Proto-Germanic *gernaz, whence also Old English ġeorn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡern/

Adjective

gern

1. willing, eager

Derived terms

• gerno
• wīsigerno

Descendants

• Middle High German: gern, gerne

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gern, from Proto-Germanic *gernaz, whence Old English ġeorn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɛrn/

Adjective

gern (comparative gernoro, superlative gernost)

1. eager

Declension

Positive forms of gern

Strong declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	gern	gerne	gern	gerne	gern	gernu
accusative	gernana	gerne	gern	gerne	gerna	gernu
genitive	gernes	gernarō	gernes	gernarō	gernaro	gernarō
dative	gernumu	gernum	gernumu	gernum	gernaro	gernum
Weak declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	gerno	gernu	gerna	gernu	gerna	gernu
accusative	gernun	gernun	gerna	gernun	gernun	gernun
genitive	gernun	gernonō	gernun	gernonō	gernun	gernonō
dative	gernun	gernum	gernun	gernum	gernun	gernum

Comparative forms of gern (weak only)

gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	gernoro	gernoru	gernora	gernoru	gernora	gernoru
accusative	gernorun	gernorun	gernora	gernorun	gernorun	gernorun
genitive	gernorun	gernoronō	gernorun	gernoronō	gernorun	gernoronō
dative	gernorun	gernorum	gernorun	gernorum	gernorun	gernorum

Superlative forms of gern

Strong declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	gernost	gernoste	gernost	gernoste	gernost	gernostu
accusative	gernostana	gernoste	gernost	gernoste	gernosta	gernostu
genitive	gernostes	gernostarō	gernostes	gernostarō	gernostaro	gernostarō
dative	gernostumu	gernostum	gernostumu	gernostum	gernostaro	gernostum
Weak declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	gernosto	gernostu	gernosta	gernostu	gernosta	gernostu
accusative	gernostun	gernostun	gernosta	gernostun	gernostun	gernostun
genitive	gernostun	gernostonō	gernostun	gernostonō	gernostun	gernostonō
dative	gernostun	gernostum	gernostun	gernostum	gernostun	gernostum

Adverb

gern

1. willingly

   Synonym: gerno