Günstigen

Günstigen is the inflected form of the German adjective günstig, which means favorable, advantageous or affordable. It is used to describe things that are advantageous in terms of price, conditions, or suitability. The sense can range from a low price to a beneficial situation, depending on context.

In German grammar, günstigen appears in many cases and genders. Examples include: die günstigen Preise (nominative plural); die günstigen Preise (accusative plural); den günstigen Preisen (dative plural); der günstigen Preise (genitive plural). In singular forms one finds: ein günstiger Preis (nominative masculine); einen günstigen Preis (accusative masculine); einem günstigen Preis (dative masculine); eines günstigen Preises (genitive masculine). For neuter: das günstige Angebot (nom); dem günstigen Angebot (dat); des günstigen Angebots (gen). For feminine: eine günstige Ware (nom); einer günstigen Ware (dat/gen). Thus, Gandhi’s forms show how günstigen adapts to articles and case.

The nuance of günstig is broader than mere cheapness; it can apply to favorable conditions, convenient timing, or good value, in addition to low price. It is contrasted with billig in some contexts, where billig carries a stronger sense of cheapness, while günstig emphasizes overall advantage or suitability. Etymologically, günstig derives from Gunst, meaning favor or benevolence, evolving to mean advantageous in various contexts.