courteous / occurring
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courteous
Very polite, helpful, and attentive when dealing with other people. A synonym is “zuvorkommend” (courteous/accommodating).
Der Hotelpage war außerordentlich vorkommend und half uns sofort mit dem Gepäck.
The hotel bellhop was extraordinarily courteous and immediately helped us with the luggage.
“Vorkommend” (courteous/occurring) is the present participle of the separable verb “vorkommen” (to occur / to seem). The two very different meanings of the adjective derive directly from the two main meanings of the verb.
Es kommt oft vor, dass Züge Verspätung haben.
It often happens that trains are delayed.
You can recognize the meaning from the context: if the word refers to a person's behavior, it means “höflich” (polite). If it refers to a thing, an animal, or a plant, it means “existierend” (existing) or “auftretend” (occurring).
Der Kellner war ein sehr vorkommender junger Mann.
The waiter was a very courteous young man.
In the meaning “höflich” (polite), “vorkommend” (courteous) can both stand before a noun and be used with the verb “sein” (to be).
Sein vorkommendes Wesen machte ihn bei allen beliebt.
His courteous nature made him popular with everyone.
In the meaning “existierend” (existing), “vorkommend” (occurring) is almost always used directly before a noun, often together with an indication of place.
Die auf dieser Insel vorkommende Vogelart ist vom Aussterben bedroht.
The bird species occurring on this island is threatened with extinction.
available / present
'vorhanden' and 'vorkommend' can both express that something exists. 'vorhanden' generally says that something is there or available. You can often use it with 'sein': 'etwas ist vorhanden' (something is available / present). 'vorkommend' more often means that something occurs or exists in a place or under certain conditions. It usually comes directly before a noun, for example 'die dort vorkommenden Pflanzen' (the plants occurring there). So 'vorhanden' fits for stock, material, or information; 'vorkommend' fits more for species, cases, or phenomena in a particular place.
Die in diesem Wald vorkommenden Tiere werden im Unterricht besprochen.
The animals occurring in this forest are discussed in class.
Für die Reparatur ist das passende Werkzeug schon vorhanden.
The right tool for the repair is already available.