grateful
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grateful
To feel and also show a sense of appreciation and thanks for help received, a gift, or a positive experience. Often used in the construction 'dankbar für etwas sein' (to be grateful for something).
Ich bin dir sehr dankbar für deine schnelle Hilfe.
I am very grateful to you for your quick help.
rewarding
Describes a task, material, or topic that is easy to work with and quickly leads to a satisfying, worthwhile result.
Das Unkrautjäten im Garten ist keine sehr dankbare Arbeit.
Weeding the garden is not very rewarding work.
The adjective 'dankbar' (grateful) is made up of the noun 'der Dank' (thanks/gratitude) and the ending '-bar' (-able). Literally, it means being 'full of thanks' or showing gratitude.
Nach der gelungenen Operation war die Patientin den Ärzten unendlich dankbar.
After the successful operation, the patient was infinitely grateful to the doctors.
When expressing gratitude, you follow the pattern: 'jemandem (Dativ) für etwas (Akkusativ) dankbar sein' (to be grateful to someone for something). The person you are thanking is in the dative, and the reason for the gratitude is in the accusative after 'für'.
Ich bin meinen Freunden für die Unterstützung sehr dankbar.
I am very grateful to my friends for their support.
You can recognize the two meanings by looking at what is being described. If a person is 'dankbar' (grateful), they feel gratitude. If a task, topic, or role is 'dankbar' (rewarding), it means that it is worthwhile and leads to good results.
Die Kinder waren für das Eis sehr dankbar.
The children were very grateful for the ice cream.
In the second, figurative meaning, 'dankbar' (rewarding) is often used to describe activities or topics. Typical combinations are 'eine dankbare Aufgabe' (a rewarding task), 'ein dankbares Thema' ( a rewarding topic), or 'eine dankbare Rolle' (a rewarding role). This meaning is also frequently used negatively, e.g. 'keine dankbare Aufgabe' (not a rewarding task).
Der Pressesprecher musste die unpopuläre Entscheidung verteidigen; das war keine dankbare Rolle.
The press spokesperson had to defend the unpopular decision; that was not a rewarding role.
connected
Dankbar and verbunden can both express that someone greatly appreciates help or support. Dankbar is the normal term for this feeling. Jemandem verbunden sein sounds more formal and emphasizes a deeper personal obligation or lasting gratitude.
Ich bin meiner Nachbarin dankbar, weil sie während meines Urlaubs auf meine Wohnung aufgepasst hat.
I am grateful to my neighbor because she looked after my apartment while I was on vacation.
Ich fühle mich meiner Nachbarin verbunden, weil sie mich während einer schwierigen Zeit lange unterstützt hat.
I feel indebted to my neighbor because she supported me for a long time during a difficult period.
