beglücken
to delight
To give someone great joy or make someone very happy.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihre Eltern mit der Nachricht beglückt, dass sie bald Großeltern werden.
She delighted her parents with the news that they would soon become grandparents.
beglücken
to delight
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Meanings
beglücken
to inflict on
Often used ironically to express that someone forces something on another person or subjects them to something they do not want at all.
EXAMPLE
Er hat uns den ganzen Abend mit seinen Urlaubsfotos beglückt.
He inflicted his vacation photos on us all evening.
Usage tips
Word structure
The verb is made up of the prefix 'be-' and the noun 'Glück' (happiness / luck). The structure 'be- + noun/adjective' often means 'to make someone or something so', here therefore 'to make someone happy'.
EXAMPLE
Mit seinem Überraschungsbesuch hat er seine Großmutter wirklich beglückt.
With his surprise visit, he truly delighted his grandmother.
Sentence structure with the accusative
'Beglücken' (to delight) always requires an accusative object: the person who is made happy. The thing that brings joy is often connected with the preposition 'mit' (with).
EXAMPLE
Der Sänger beglückte sein Publikum mit einer Zugabe.
The singer delighted his audience with an encore.
Register and style
In its literal meaning, 'beglücken' (to delight) often sounds somewhat elevated or even slightly old-fashioned. It expresses very great, deep joy.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachricht von der bestandenen Prüfung hat die ganze Familie beglückt.
The news that she had passed the exam delighted the whole family.
Ironic use
The verb is very often used ironically. It then means that someone forces something on another person that they find boring or annoying. The context or tone makes the irony clear.
EXAMPLE
Müssen wir uns wirklich den ganzen Abend mit seinen alten Geschichten beglücken lassen?
Do we really have to let him inflict his old stories on us all evening?
Compare with
beglücken vs erfreuen
to delight
Erfreuen and beglücken can both express that an action brings someone joy. Erfreuen is usually neutral, whereas beglücken emphasizes very great joy more strongly and often sounds elevated or ironic. For a normal friendly statement, erfreuen is usually the better choice.
beglücken
Das unerwartete Geschenk beglückte meine Schwester an ihrem Geburtstag.
The unexpected gift brought my sister immense joy on her birthday.
erfreuen
Das kleine Geschenk erfreute meine Schwester an ihrem Geburtstag.
The small gift delighted my sister on her birthday.
In real life
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