01
gierig
greedy
An excessive and selfish desire for something, especially food, money, or power.
example
Er aß die Pizza so gierig, als hätte er tagelang nichts gegessen.
He ate the pizza so greedily, as if he hadn't eaten anything for days.
gierig
greedy
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'gierig' (greedy) is closely related to the noun 'die Gier' (greed). If you know the noun, you can easily work out the meaning of the adjective.
EXAMPLE
Seine Gier nach Geld war unersättlich.
His greed for money was insatiable.
Fixed preposition
In the figurative meaning, 'gierig' (eager/greedy) is always used with the preposition 'nach' and the dative. This structure expresses a strong, eager desire.
EXAMPLE
Der junge Forscher war gierig nach neuen Erkenntnissen.
The young researcher was eager for new findings.
Context clue
The preposition 'nach' almost always signals the figurative, often more positive meaning ('eager'). Without a preposition, when it describes an action (e.g. 'gierig essen' — to eat greedily), it usually has the negative meaning ('greedy').
EXAMPLE
Der Hund verschlang gierig sein Futter.
The dog greedily devoured its food.
Compare with
gierig vs neugierig
curious
'neugierig' and 'gierig' sound similar, and both can have to do with a strong desire. Even so, their meanings are different. 'neugierig' is usually neutral or positive: you want to know, learn, or experience something. 'gierig' is often negative because someone wants too much, for example money, food, or power. In some fixed expressions like 'gierig nach Wissen' (eager for knowledge), 'gierig' can also express a very strong desire to learn. Still, 'neugierig' is the normal word when someone asks interested questions.
gierig
Adam war so gierig nach Gewinn, dass er das Risiko nicht mehr gesehen hat.
Adam was so greedy for profit that he no longer saw the risk.
neugierig
Vor dem Gespräch ist ihr Bruder neugierig auf die neue Werkstatt.
Before the conversation, her brother is curious about the new workshop.
In real life
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