merciful / gracious
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merciful
Being compassionate and lenient, especially from a position of power; being willing to waive or reduce a punishment.
Der Richter zeigte sich gnädig und verhängte nur eine Geldstrafe.
The judge showed mercy and imposed only a fine.
The adjective 'gnädig' (merciful/gracious) is derived directly from the noun 'die Gnade' (mercy, grace). A 'gnädige' person is therefore someone who shows mercy or is full of kindness.
Er bat um Gnade, doch der König war nicht gnädig.
He begged for mercy, but the king was not merciful.
In the meaning of 'barmherzig' (merciful), 'gnädig' (merciful) is often used for people in a position of power, such as judges, kings, or God. A typical construction is 'sich gnädig zeigen' (to show mercy).
Das Gericht zeigte sich gnädig und reduzierte die Strafe.
The court showed mercy and reduced the sentence.
In everyday language, 'gnädig' (gracious) can sound ironic. It is used to describe someone who agrees to do something reluctantly or condescendingly, as if they were granting a great favor.
Na schön, seufzte er, dann helfe ich dir gnädigerweise eben beim Abwasch.
Fine, he sighed, then I’ll graciously help you with the dishes.
The form of address 'gnädige Frau' (gracious lady) is outdated and is hardly ever used seriously today. You find it mainly in historical films and books or as a humorous exaggeration.
„Darf ich Ihnen den Mantel abnehmen, gnädige Frau?“, fragte der Portier im alten Film.
“May I take your coat, gracious lady?” asked the porter in the old film.
strict
'streng' and 'gnädig' can be opposites when it comes to rules, punishments, or decisions. 'streng' means that someone enforces rules exactly and makes few exceptions. Rules themselves can also be 'streng'. 'gnädig' means that someone is lenient and reduces a punishment or does not decide as harshly. So 'streng' emphasizes severity and clear limits, while 'gnädig' emphasizes mercy and leniency.
Der Prüfer war gnädig und gab dem Schüler noch eine zweite Chance.
The examiner was merciful and gave the student a second chance.
Die Lehrerin ist streng, wenn jemand seine Hausaufgaben nicht macht.
The teacher is strict when someone does not do their homework.