spendieren

Spendieren is a colloquial German verb meaning to pay for someone else’s meal, drink, or other small expense as a treat. The person who pays is the subject, the recipient is usually expressed in the dative, and the thing being provided can follow the verb in the accusative: Ich spendiere dir ein Eis. Wir spendieren dem Kollegen das Mittagessen. In the construction etwas spendieren, you can also say Ich spendiere dem Freund einen Kaffee.

Usage and nuance: Spendieren conveys generosity and informality. It is commonly used in spoken language among friends, family, or coworkers. In more formal writing or official contexts, one would normally say bezahlen, übernehmen or ausgeben. The phrase emphasizes the act of treating someone at one's own expense rather than simply paying a bill.

Regional notes and related forms: Spendieren is widely understood across German-speaking regions, especially in casual speech. The past participle is spendiert, as in Ich habe ihm ein Eis spendiert. A related informal noun is Spendierhosen, used playfully to describe someone who likes to treat others. While closely related to the verb spenden in root meaning of giving, spendieren is distinct in everyday usage and is not used for charitable donations.

See also: Spendierhosen (informal term for a person who likes to treat others), bezahlen, übernehmen, ausgeben.