das Vergnügen
pleasure
A feeling of joy, fun, or entertainment that one experiences during a particular activity or experience.
EXAMPLE
Es war mir ein großes Vergnügen, Sie kennenzulernen.
It was a great pleasure to meet you.
das Vergnügen
pleasure
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Meanings
das Vergnügen
pleasure
An entertaining activity or event that brings joy.
EXAMPLE
Eine Fahrt mit dem Riesenrad ist ein teures Vergnügen.
A ride on the Ferris wheel is an expensive pleasure.
Usage tips
Word family
'Das Vergnügen' (pleasure) is the noun related to the reflexive verb 'sich vergnügen' (to have fun, to enjoy oneself). If you know the verb, you can easily work out the meaning of the noun.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder vergnügten sich den ganzen Nachmittag im Park.
The children enjoyed themselves in the park all afternoon.
Polite expressions
'Vergnügen' (pleasure) is often used in fixed, polite expressions. Examples are 'Viel Vergnügen!' (Have fun! / Enjoy!), 'Mit Vergnügen!' (With pleasure!, as a positive answer), or 'Es ist mir ein Vergnügen' (It is my pleasure).
EXAMPLE
Viel Vergnügen heute Abend im Theater!
Enjoy yourself at the theater tonight!
Sentence structure with preposition
When you want to express what someone takes pleasure in, you often use the construction 'Vergnügen an etwas (Dativ) finden' (to find pleasure in something) or 'Vergnügen an etwas (Dativ) haben' (to take pleasure in something).
EXAMPLE
Er findet großes Vergnügen an der Gartenarbeit.
He finds great pleasure in gardening.
Typical collocations
When 'Vergnügen' (pleasure) describes an activity, it is often combined with adjectives like 'teuer' (expensive), 'kurz' (brief), 'selten' (rare), or 'zweifelhaft' (questionable). This often has a slightly ironic undertone.
EXAMPLE
Jeden Morgen ein Taxi zur Arbeit zu nehmen, ist ein teures Vergnügen.
Taking a taxi to work every morning is an expensive pleasure.
Compare with
Vergnügen vs Spaß
fun / joke
Both words can refer to an enjoyable activity or a pleasant experience. Spaß generally sounds casual and everyday, while Vergnügen sounds more elevated or formal and can place greater emphasis on the activity itself. In everyday conversation, Spaß is usually more appropriate; in a more formal description, Vergnügen is more suitable.
Vergnügen
Die Führung durch die Altstadt war ein großes Vergnügen.
The tour of the old town was a great pleasure.
Spaß
Die Führung durch die Altstadt hat uns viel Spaß gemacht.
The tour of the old town was a lot of fun for us.
In real life
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