01
hilfsbereit
helpful
The quality of gladly and willingly helping other people.
example
Als mein Auto eine Panne hatte, hielt sofort ein sehr hilfsbereiter Fahrer an.
When my car broke down, a very helpful driver stopped right away.
hilfsbereit
helpful
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is a compound of 'Hilfe' (help) and 'bereit' (ready). So it literally describes a person who is 'bereit zur Hilfe' (ready to help).
EXAMPLE
Sie ist immer sehr hilfsbereit, wenn jemand eine Frage hat.
She is always very helpful when someone has a question.
Typical usage
The adjective 'hilfsbereit' (helpful) is almost always used to describe people. Typical combinations are 'ein hilfsbereiter Mensch' (a helpful person), 'eine hilfsbereite Kollegin' (a helpful female colleague), or 'hilfsbereite Nachbarn' (helpful neighbors).
EXAMPLE
Meine neuen Nachbarn sind unglaublich hilfsbereit.
My new neighbors are incredibly helpful.
Use as an adverb
Besides being used as an adjective before a noun or with 'sein' (to be), 'hilfsbereit' (helpful) can also be used as an adverb to describe the manner of an action.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mir hilfsbereit den Weg zum Bahnhof erklärt.
He helpfully explained the way to the train station to me.
Compare with
hilfsbereit vs hilfreich
helpful
'hilfreich' and 'hilfsbereit' are easy to confuse because both have to do with help. 'hilfreich' describes something that is useful or supportive, for example a tip, an explanation, or a tool. 'hilfsbereit' describes a person who likes helping others. So you would not normally say that a tip is 'hilfsbereit'. A tip is 'hilfreich', but a person is 'hilfsbereit'.
hilfsbereit
Die Eltern sind sehr hilfsbereit und unterstützen die Klasse beim Schulfest.
The parents are very helpful and support the class at the school festival.
hilfreich
Die neue Checkliste ist bei der Arbeit sehr hilfreich.
The new checklist is very helpful at work.
In real life
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