politeness
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politeness
The quality of showing considerate and respectful behavior toward other people; good manners.
Er ist bekannt für seine außerordentliche Höflichkeit und seinen Charme.
He is known for his extraordinary politeness and charm.
'Höflichkeit' (politeness) is the noun related to the adjective 'höflich' (polite). The ending '-keit' is a very common way to form an abstract noun from an adjective that describes a quality.
Er beantwortete die Frage mit der ihm eigenen Höflichkeit.
He answered the question with his characteristic politeness.
When the word is used in the plural ('Höflichkeiten' — courtesies), it almost always refers to concrete, formal actions or phrases, not to the general quality.
Sie tauschten nur kurz die üblichen Höflichkeiten aus und begannen dann mit der Besprechung.
They exchanged only the usual courtesies briefly and then began the meeting.
The phrase 'aus Höflichkeit' (out of politeness) is often used to explain why you do something even though you may not really want to. It expresses a sense of social obligation.
Ich habe das Stück Kuchen aus Höflichkeit gegessen, obwohl ich schon satt war.
I ate the piece of cake out of politeness, even though I was already full.
A fixed expression is 'die Höflichkeit gebietet es' (politeness requires it). It means that good manners require a particular action.
Die Höflichkeit gebietet es, sich für das Geschenk zu bedanken.
Politeness requires that you thank someone for the gift.
attention
'die Aufmerksamkeit' and 'die Höflichkeit' can both have to do with friendly behavior. 'Eine Aufmerksamkeit' is often a small gesture or a small gift used to show appreciation. 'Höflichkeit' refers more to the way someone behaves respectfully, for example greeting people kindly, listening, or saying thank you. A small gesture can be polite, but politeness is not a gift; it is good manners. The words can be confused when talking about nice gestures. For a small gift, you would usually say 'eine Aufmerksamkeit'; for respectful behavior, 'Höflichkeit'.
Im Zug steht sie aus Höflichkeit auf, damit die ältere Frau sitzen kann.
On the train, she stands up out of politeness so that the older woman can sit down.
Als kleine Aufmerksamkeit brachte Frau Becker ihren Nachbarn Blumen mit.
As a small gesture, Mrs. Becker brought her neighbors flowers.