zest for life
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zest for life
A feeling of intense joy in life and in one's own existence; a positive and optimistic basic attitude. This word is a noun (die Lebensfreude).
Trotz ihres hohen Alters strahlte sie eine ansteckende Lebensfreude aus.
Despite her advanced age, she radiated an infectious zest for life.
The word is made up of 'Leben' (life; genitive: 'Lebens') and 'Freude' (joy). So it literally describes joy in or about life.
Ihre Lebensfreude ist wirklich ansteckend.
Her zest for life is truly infectious.
The related adjective is 'lebensfroh' (cheerful/full of life). A person who has a lot of Lebensfreude can be described as a lebensfroher Mensch (a cheerful person full of life).
Er ist ein sehr lebensfroher Mensch, der immer lacht.
He is a very cheerful person who is always laughing.
'Lebensfreude' (zest for life) is often combined with verbs that express a feeling. Typical ones are: Lebensfreude haben (to have zest for life), ausstrahlen (to radiate), spüren (to feel), finden (to find), or verlieren (to lose).
Nach der langen Krankheit fand er langsam seine Lebensfreude wieder.
After the long illness, he slowly found his zest for life again.
optimism
'der Optimismus' and 'die Lebensfreude' both describe a positive attitude. 'Optimismus' mainly means the expectation that something will turn out well or get better. The word is often used with plans, problems, or difficult situations. 'Lebensfreude' is more about the joy of life itself: you enjoy life, like to laugh, and seem lively. The words can be confused because both sound positive. A person can have optimism without being cheerful at that moment; zest for life is often visible directly in mood and behavior.
Beim Tanzen zeigt Mehmet viel Lebensfreude.
Mehmet shows a lot of zest for life when he dances.
Trotz der schlechten Zahlen verliert das Team seinen Optimismus nicht.
Despite the bad numbers, the team does not lose its optimism.