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 describe pleasant, friendly people. Nett is the general and rather weak everyday compliment. Liebenswürdig, by contrast, highlights an especially courteous and charming manner and is appropriate when the friendliness is meant to be emphasized more strongly.
Der neue Kollege ist liebenswürdig und nimmt sich geduldig Zeit für meine Frage.
The new colleague is amiable and patiently takes the time to answer my question.
Der neue Kollege ist nett und beantwortet meine Frage freundlich.
The new colleague is nice and answers my question kindly.
