01
nett
nice
Describes a person who is friendly, likable, and pleasant to deal with.
example
Unsere neue Nachbarin ist wirklich sehr nett.
Our new neighbor is really very nice.
nett
nice
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Careful: ambiguity
Depending on context and tone of voice, 'nett' (nice) can be a polite but weak evaluation. Especially in the combination 'ganz nett' (quite nice), it often means 'mediocre' or 'not especially impressive.'
EXAMPLE
Wie war der Film? – Ach, er war ganz nett.
How was the movie? — Oh, it was quite nice.
Sentence structure with 'zu'
To express that someone is friendly to another person, you use the fixed structure 'nett zu' (nice to) followed by the dative.
EXAMPLE
Du solltest immer nett zu deinen Mitschülern sein.
You should always be nice to your classmates.
Versatile use
'Nett' (nice) does not only describe people. You can also use it for pleasant situations, kind actions, or appealing things and places.
EXAMPLE
Wir saßen in einem netten kleinen Café am Marktplatz.
We sat in a nice little café on the market square.
Compare with
nett vs schön
beautiful / nice
'schön' and 'nett' can both express a positive judgment. 'schön' is often used for appearance, places, things, or experiences that are pleasant or beautiful. 'nett' fits especially well for friendly people, but it can also describe a thing or place in a mildly positive way. Learners confuse the words because both are often connected to 'gut' (good). The important point is: a person is usually 'nett' when they are friendly; 'schön' describes appearance or a pleasant experience more often.
nett
Unsere neue Nachbarin ist sehr nett und hilft oft im Haus.
Our new neighbor is very nice and often helps around the building.
schön
Der Park ist im Frühling besonders schön.
The park is especially beautiful in spring.
In real life
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