appreciative
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appreciative
Expressing praise, respect, or approval. It describes an action, a look, or words that show that someone evaluates an achievement or quality positively.
Er nickte mir anerkennend zu, als ich die schwierige Aufgabe gelöst hatte.
He gave me an appreciative nod when I had solved the difficult task.
'Anerkennend' (appreciative) is the present participle form of the verb 'anerkennen' (to acknowledge / recognize). It describes an action that takes place at the same time as another action and shows appreciation while doing so.
Anerkennend klopfte ihm der Trainer auf die Schulter.
The trainer patted him on the shoulder appreciatively.
This word can stand before a noun as an adjective or function as an adverb describing a verb. As an adverb, it always remains unchanged in the form 'anerkennend' (appreciatively).
Sie warf ihm einen anerkennenden Blick zu.
She gave him an appreciative look.
'Anerkennend' (appreciative) is often combined with actions or expressions of body language. Typical phrases are 'anerkennend nicken' (to nod appreciatively), 'ein anerkennender Blick' (an appreciative look), or 'anerkennende Worte' (appreciative words).
Nach meiner Präsentation erhielt ich ein anerkennendes Nicken von meiner Chefin.
After my presentation, I received an appreciative nod from my boss.
critical
'kritisch' and 'anerkennend' are often opposites in evaluations. 'kritisch' means that someone examines, questions, and also points out mistakes or problems. 'anerkennend' means that someone shows praise, respect, or approval. Both words can describe an attitude or reaction, but the direction is different: kritisch focuses more on what is wrong; anerkennend highlights the positive.
Nach dem Konzert nickte die Lehrerin anerkennend.
After the concert, the teacher nodded appreciatively.
Wir waren kritisch, weil der Vorschlag noch viele offene Punkte hatte.
We were critical because the proposal still had many unresolved issues.