German · Emotions & Descriptions

"Kind" in German: freundlich

freundlich

Say it: FROYND-likhadjective/ˈfʁɔʏ̯ntlɪç/

Note: also: nett

Kind in German is freundlich. Say Sei freundlich or Das war freundlich von dir. Nett is a softer everyday near-synonym for nice.

Thanking a stranger

Das ist sehr freundlich von Ihnen.
That is very kind of you.
Practice German out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce freundlich

Say it

FROYND-likh

/ˈfʁɔʏ̯ntlɪç/

FROYND-likh. Eu like oy, soft ch at the end.

"Kind" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
freundlichkind / friendly

Core adjective.

sehr freundlichvery kind

Polite thanks.

freundlich von dirkind of you

Appreciation.

nettnice

Softer alternative.

How to use freundlich in real life

  1. 1Thanking a stranger

    Das ist sehr freundlich von Ihnen.

    That is very kind of you.

    Freundlich von Ihnen.

  2. 2Describing staff

    Die Bedienung war echt freundlich.

    The server was really kind.

    War freundlich.

  3. 3Parent advice

    Sei freundlich zu deinem Bruder.

    Be kind to your brother.

    Sei freundlich.

Mistakes English speakers make with freundlich

Incorrect: Er ist kind.

Correct: Er ist freundlich. / Er ist nett.

Do not use English kind; use freundlich.

Incorrect: eine freundlich Person

Correct: eine freundliche Person

Add -e before feminine nouns after eine.

Good to know

Sehr freundlich is a classic polite thank-you after help in shops. Freundlich covers both kind and friendly; tone decides how warm it feels.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

After someone holds a door

  1. ChatPal

    Danke, das war freundlich.

    Thanks, that was kind.

  2. You

    Gern. Freundlich geht schnell.

    Gladly. Being kind is quick.

  3. ChatPal

    Stimmt. Die Stadt braucht freundliche Leute.

    True. The city needs kind people.

  4. You

    Dann bleiben wir freundlich heute.

    Then we'll stay kind today.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Kind" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Kind" in German

Kind vs nice?

Freundlich is the headword; nett is a softer everyday nice.

That was kind of you?

Das war freundlich von dir/Ihnen.

Be kind!

Sei freundlich!

Noun form?

Die Freundlichkeit.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in German. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.