großzügig
generous
Ready to give a lot to others or help them without expecting anything in return.
EXAMPLE
Sie war großzügig und spendete einen großen Teil ihres Erbes.
She was generous and donated a large part of her inheritance.
großzügig
generous / spacious
großzügig – großzügiger – am großzügigsten
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Meanings
großzügig
generous
Ample in size or quantity; more than strictly necessary.
EXAMPLE
Die Portionen in diesem Restaurant sind sehr großzügig.
The portions at this restaurant are very generous.
großzügig
lenient
Tolerant and willing to overlook mistakes or minor rule violations.
EXAMPLE
Der Lehrer war großzügig und ließ die verspätete Abgabe noch gelten.
The teacher was lenient and still accepted the late submission.
großzügig
spacious
Planned or laid out over a large area with plenty of space.
EXAMPLE
Die großzügig angelegte Parkanlage lädt zum Spazierengehen ein.
The spaciously designed park is perfect for taking a walk.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry großzügig, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | großzügig |
|---|---|
| comparative | großzügiger |
| superlative | am großzügigsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to großzügig.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to großzügig.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to großzügig.
Usage tips
Context clue
You can often tell whether „großzügig“ (generous / spacious) refers to a person or to something spatial or related to quantity from the nouns and verbs in the sentence. With people, actions such as donating, helping, or forgiving often appear in the context; with things, the focus is often on space, quantities, or the design of grounds.
EXAMPLE
Der Verein lobte die großzügige Spende der Unternehmerin.
The association praised the businesswoman's generous donation.
Das großzügige Grundstück bietet viel Platz für einen Garten.
The spacious property offers plenty of room for a garden.
Mit construction
When „großzügig“ (generous) describes giving money, time, or other things, it is often used with „mit“ (with) and the dative. The pattern is: „mit etwas großzügig sein“ (to be generous with something).
EXAMPLE
Er ist mit seinem Geld großzügig und unterstützt mehrere soziale Projekte.
He is generous with his money and supports several social projects.
Typical expression
For generous quantities or time allowed in sufficient measure, the expression „großzügig bemessen“ (to allow ample time / to measure generously) is often used. It commonly appears with deadlines, time periods, or other limited resources.
EXAMPLE
Die Organisatoren haben die Frist großzügig bemessen.
The organizers allowed plenty of time for the deadline.
Fixed expression
When referring to tolerance of a mistake, „großzügig“ (lenient) is often used with „über etwas hinwegsehen“ (to overlook something). This describes a conscious willingness to forgive a minor rule violation.
EXAMPLE
Die Prüferin sah großzügig über den kleinen Formfehler hinweg.
The examiner leniently overlooked the minor formatting error.
Typical expression
For places that are planned or designed to be spacious, „großzügig“ (spacious) often appears with „angelegt“ (laid out) or „gestaltet“ (designed). Typical nouns it describes include parks, gardens, and squares.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Rathaus hat einen großzügig gestalteten Vorplatz.
The new town hall has a spaciously designed forecourt.
In real life
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