The idea
Freude machen or bereiten describes causing pleasure in someone else; bereiten is somewhat more formal. Freude empfinden describes the feeling itself, whereas Freude zeigen makes it visible. Sich auf etwas freuen is anticipation and uses a different grammatical form; Freude an etwas haben concerns enjoyment of an activity or thing.
| Word combination | Meaning in this use |
|---|---|
| Freude machen | jemandem ein positives Gefühl geben |
| Freude bereiten | jemanden erfreuen |
| Freude empfinden | ein positives Gefühl erleben |
| Freude zeigen | ein positives Gefühl sichtbar ausdrücken |
| Freude an etwas haben | etwas gern tun oder betrachten |
| seine Freude teilen | ein positives Gefühl mit anderen gemeinsam erleben |
Repair the phrase, preserve the message
Ich habe Freude an der Arbeit, also freue ich mich nur auf ihren Beginn.Ich habe Freude an der Arbeit; die Tätigkeit selbst macht mir Freude.Freude an concerns enjoyment of the activity. Anticipating a future event is usually expressed with sich auf etwas freuen.
Examples
- Das gemeinsame Vorlesen macht den Kindern große Freude.Reading aloud together gives the children great enjoyment.Freude machen expresses giving someone pleasure in this sentence.
- Mit dem sorgfältig gestalteten Heft bereitet uns Ria eine Freude.Ria delights us with the carefully designed booklet.Freude bereiten expresses causing delight in this sentence.
- Beim Wiedersehen empfindet Malin große Freude.Malin feels great joy at the reunion.Freude empfinden expresses feeling joy in this sentence.
- Mit ihrem breiten Lächeln zeigt Ada ihre Freude über das Ergebnis.With her broad smile, Ada shows her delight at the result.Freude zeigen expresses displaying delight in this sentence.
- Ivo hat Freude am genauen Zeichnen kleiner Gegenstände.Ivo enjoys carefully drawing small objects.Freude an etwas haben expresses enjoying an activity or thing in this sentence.
- Nach der Zusage teilt Noor ihre Freude mit der ganzen Gruppe.After the acceptance, Noor shares her delight with the whole group.seine Freude teilen expresses sharing one’s delight in this sentence.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Freude an concerns enjoyment of the activity. Anticipating a future event is usually expressed with sich auf etwas freuen.
Try it yourself
Ivo likes drawing small things. Use Freude an.
Show answer or example answer
Ivo hat Freude am Zeichnen kleiner Dinge.
Ivo hat Freude am Zeichnen kleiner Dinge. This describes enjoyment of the activity.
Ada's smile makes a feeling visible. Which expression fits?
Show answer or example answer
Ada zeigt ihre Freude.
Ada zeigt ihre Freude. Zeigen concerns outward expression; empfinden need not be visible.
Say it a little more formally: The designed booklet pleases us.
Show answer or example answer
Das gestaltete Heft bereitet uns Freude.
Das gestaltete Heft bereitet uns Freude. Bereiten places the affected people in dative.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Ivo likes drawing small things. Use Freude an.
Ivo hat Freude am Zeichnen kleiner Dinge.
Ada's smile makes a feeling visible. Which expression fits?
Ada zeigt ihre Freude.
Say it a little more formally: The designed booklet pleases us.
Das gestaltete Heft bereitet uns Freude.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account and carry on with the story in the game.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Choose two expressions from the table, for example “Freude machen” and “Freude zeigen”, and write a short German exchange in which the situation changes between the first and second line. Keep the intended meanings distinct. Then explain why the verb in each combination fits the action, state or reaction you describe.