gern

Gern is a German adverb meaning "gladly" or "with pleasure." It indicates a positive preference for an activity and is commonly translated as "like to" or "enjoy doing." It is used with verbs of action, for example: Ich trinke gern Kaffee, Wir lesen gern Bücher. Both gern and gerne are understood in all German-speaking regions.

Gern vs. gerne: Both spellings are correct. Generally, gerne is considered more formal or standard in writing, while gern is common in everyday speech and some dialects. In polite requests or hypothetical statements, the verb phrase often takes the subjunctive: Ich würde gern ins Kino gehen.

Origin and usage: The form is of Germanic origin and has parallels in related languages. The shorter form gern is older and persists in colloquial speech; gerne is the longer form that appears more frequently in official or literary writing. The meaning remains the same regardless of spelling.

Common usage notes: With negation, nicht gern means not fond of something. The adverb typically follows the conjugated verb in German word order, but with modal verbs or in inverted sentences placement can vary: Er trinkt gern Tee; Heute Abend würden wir gern ins Theater gehen.