amiable
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amiable
Describes a person who is pleasant to deal with because of their friendly, courteous, and charming manner.
Er war ein sehr liebenswürdiger Gastgeber, der sich um alle Gäste kümmerte.
He was a very amiable host who took care of all the guests.
The adjective is made up of 'lieben' (to love), the linking -s, and 'würdig' (worthy). So it literally describes a person who is 'worthy of being loved'—which explains the deep, warm friendliness of the word.
Ihre Großmutter ist eine wirklich liebenswürdige alte Dame.
Her grandmother is a truly amiable old lady.
If you want to express whom someone is amiable to, use the preposition 'zu' with the dative. The structure is: 'liebenswürdig zu jemandem sein' (to be amiable to someone).
Sie war zu allen ihren Nachbarn außerordentlich liebenswürdig.
She was extraordinarily amiable to all her neighbors.
'Liebenswürdig' (amiable) does not only describe people. It can also be used for actions or qualities, for example 'eine liebenswürdige Geste' (an amiable gesture), 'ein liebenswürdiges Lächeln' (an amiable smile), or 'eine liebenswürdige Art' (an amiable manner).
Es war eine sehr liebenswürdige Geste, uns vom Bahnhof abzuholen.
It was a very amiable gesture to pick us up from the train station.
nice
'nett' and 'liebenswürdig' both describe a friendly and pleasant person. 'nett' is very general and fits almost any everyday situation. It can simply mean that someone is friendly. 'liebenswürdig' is more precise and a bit stronger: the person is not only friendly, but also courteous and charming. Learners may confuse the words because both speak positively about people. In casual conversations, 'nett' sounds more natural. 'liebenswürdig' is a better fit when you want to emphasize a particularly polite and pleasant manner.
Morgen hilft Tim seiner Tante am Computer, weil sie immer so liebenswürdig zu ihm ist.
Tomorrow Tim is helping his aunt with her computer because she is always so amiable toward him.
Zu Hause erzähle ich meinen Eltern, dass ihr neuer Nachbar sehr nett ist.
At home, I tell my parents that their new neighbor is very nice.