lohnen

Lohnen is a German verb meaning to be worth the effort or to pay off, often translated as “to be worthwhile” or “to reward.” It is used to describe that an action or investment yields a positive result. Common constructions include the impersonal phrase es lohnt sich and sentences in which the subject is the thing that pays off, such as Die Investition lohnt sich or Die Investition hat sich gelohnt.

In present tense, the forms are ich lohne, du lohnst, er/sie/es lohnt, wir lohnen, ihr lohnt, sie lohnen. The simple past forms are ich lohnte, du lohntest, er lohnte, wir lohnten, ihr lohntet, sie lohnten. The past participle is gelohnt, and the perfect is usually formed with sich: es hat sich gelohnt. The verb is typically used with the reflexive sich when referring to the benefit of an action, as in es lohnt sich or die Investition hat sich gelohnt.

Etymology and related usage: lohnen is historically linked to the noun Lohn, meaning wage or reward, and originally conveyed the sense of paying or rewarding. In modern usage it denotes that an action or decision yields a favorable result, rather than the literal paying of wages. Related expressions include sich auszahlen (to pay off) and lohnenswert sein (to be worthwhile).

Examples of usage include: Es lohnt sich, früh aufzustehen. Die Investition hat sich gelohnt. Es hat sich gelohnt, diesen Vertrag abzuschließen. The expression is common in spoken and written German and is frequently used with both general statements and specific plans to indicate a positive outcome.