German

Alternative forms

• geniessen (Switzerland, Liechtenstein)

Verb

genießen ‎(class 2 strong, third-person singular simple present genießt, past tense genoss, past participle genossen, past subjunctive genösse, auxiliary haben)

1. (transitive) to enjoy (an experience); to relish; to savor

   das Leben genießen — “to enjoy life”

2. (transitive, formal) to have (food or beverage), to eat, to drink
3. (figuratively) to receive; to have

   eine Erziehung genießen — “to receive an education”

Usage notes

• In older usage, genießen was construed with a genitive object: des Lebens genießen. This is now obsolete.
• Genießen is significantly less frequent than English enjoy. The German verb usually means “to enjoy something consciously”, while the more general sense of “to take pleasure in” is expressed with other constructions. For example: She enjoys dancing. → “Sie tanzt gern.” Or: “Sie hat Spaß am Tanzen.”

Conjugation

Derived terms

• genießbar
• Genießer