spontan
spontaneous
Happening out of a sudden impulse and without prior planning or consideration.
EXAMPLE
Gestern Abend haben wir uns spontan entschieden, ins Kino zu gehen.
Yesterday evening, we spontaneously decided to go to the cinema.
spontan
spontaneous
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Meanings
spontan
spontaneous
Describes a person who tends to act in the moment and without long planning.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist ein sehr spontaner Mensch und immer für eine Überraschung gut.
She is a very spontaneous person and always good for a surprise.
spontan
spontaneous
In a scientific or medical context: happening by itself, without external influence or an identifiable cause.
EXAMPLE
In seltenen Fällen kommt es zu einer spontanen Heilung der Krankheit.
In rare cases, spontaneous healing of the disease occurs.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'spontan' (spontaneous) belongs to a word family. The related noun is 'die Spontaneität' (spontaneity) and describes the quality of being spontaneous.
EXAMPLE
Ich bewundere deine Spontaneität.
I admire your spontaneity.
Use as an adverb
When an action happens without planning, 'spontan' (spontaneously) is used like an adverb. It then usually appears in the middle of the sentence and gives more detail about the verb.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben uns spontan für einen Ausflug ans Meer entschieden.
We spontaneously decided to take a trip to the seaside.
Describing people
To characterize a person, 'spontan' (spontaneous) is used as an adjective with the verb 'sein' (to be). It then describes a personality trait.
EXAMPLE
Meine Freundin ist sehr spontan und immer für Abenteuer zu haben.
My friend is very spontaneous and always up for adventures.
Scientific context
You will find this meaning almost exclusively in scientific or medical texts. Typical combinations are 'spontane Heilung' (spontaneous healing), 'spontane Mutation' (spontaneous mutation), or 'spontane Reaktion' (spontaneous reaction).
EXAMPLE
Die Ärzte konnten sich die spontane Heilung des Patienten nicht erklären.
The doctors could not explain the patient's spontaneous healing.
Compare with
spontan vs plötzlich
suddenly
Both words can describe an unexpected action or change. Plötzlich mainly emphasizes that something happens quickly and without warning, whereas spontan highlights the lack of planning or the immediate impulse. Use spontan when someone makes a decision in the moment, and plötzlich when the onset is surprising.
spontan
Wir beschlossen spontan, wegen des Regens noch einen Kaffee zu trinken.
Because of the rain, we spontaneously decided to have another coffee.
plötzlich
Plötzlich begann es auf dem Heimweg stark zu regnen.
Suddenly, it started raining heavily on the way home.
In real life
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