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.
occurring
Existing or appearing in a particular place or under particular circumstances. It is usually used as a participle before a noun.
Die in dieser Region vorkommenden Tierarten sind gut an das Klima angepasst.
The animal species occurring in this region are well adapted to the climate.
“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
When referring to species or animals in a particular place, both words can express that they exist there. “Vorkommend” typically describes a species living or occurring in an area, while “vorhanden” focuses more on the current population. Use “vorkommend” for distribution and “vorhanden” for the current number.
Die in diesem See vorkommenden Forellen sind besonders groß.
The trout found in this lake are particularly large.
In diesem See sind noch viele Forellen vorhanden.
There are still many trout in this lake.
