01
fröhlich
cheerful
Being in a cheerful and carefree mood; expressing joy and good spirits.
example
Die Kinder sangen ein fröhliches Lied.
The children sang a cheerful song.
fröhlich
cheerful
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Fröhlich' (cheerful) belongs to the word family of 'froh' (glad) and 'die Freude' (joy). All of these words express a feeling of happiness and good spirits.
EXAMPLE
Er hat ein sehr fröhliches Wesen und lacht oft.
He has a very cheerful nature and laughs often.
Use as an adverb
'Fröhlich' (cheerful/cheerfully) can also be used as an adverb to describe how an action is performed. It then remains unchanged after the verb.
EXAMPLE
Die Vögel zwitscherten fröhlich am Morgen.
The birds chirped cheerfully in the morning.
Typical collocations
In its general meaning, 'fröhlich' (cheerful) often describes a mood or atmosphere. Common combinations are 'eine fröhliche Stimmung' (a cheerful atmosphere), 'ein fröhliches Lachen' (a cheerful laugh), or 'fröhliche Musik' (cheerful music).
EXAMPLE
Auf der Party herrschte eine fröhliche Stimmung.
There was a cheerful atmosphere at the party.
Fixed expressions
In the second meaning, 'fröhlich' (merry) occurs almost only in fixed holiday greetings. The best known are 'Fröhliche Weihnachten!' (Merry Christmas!) and 'Fröhliche Ostern!' (Happy Easter!).
EXAMPLE
Wir wünschen allen unseren Freunden fröhliche Ostern!
We wish all our friends a happy Easter!
Compare with
fröhlich vs glücklich
happy / lucky
'glücklich' and 'fröhlich' both describe a positive mood. 'glücklich' tends to mean a deeper satisfaction or joy, often about a situation or one's own life. 'fröhlich' describes more the visible good mood: someone laughs, is cheerful, and seems carefree. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with joy. When it is about inner satisfaction, 'glücklich' fits better. When you are describing a person's good mood or a cheerful atmosphere, 'fröhlich' sounds more natural.
fröhlich
Die Kinder sangen fröhlich, als sie durch den Park liefen.
The children sang cheerfully as they walked through the park.
glücklich
Nach der bestandenen Prüfung war Anna sehr glücklich.
After passing the exam, Anna was very happy.
In real life
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