German word of the day: Zugewandt
Some German words, like
lieb
(kind) and
wunderbar
(wonderful) sound so much like their meaning that they enter our daily vocabulary almost without any effort on our part.
Other words, like
zugewandt
, give up next to nothing at first glance. For non-native speakers, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either. Which is a shame because
zugewandt
is the perfect compliment to give someone when they've been there for you in a pinch or made you feel like a million dollars.
What does it mean?
Pronounced like
this
, the German adjective
zugewandt
literally means "turned toward" or "facing". In everyday language, however, it's often used metaphorically to describe someone who is warm, open, and supportive.
Above all, it means attentive – in the sense of showing interest in a person, listening to them carefully, and generally appearing excited at the prospect of spending time with them.
Why should I know
Zugewandt
?
The German language is brilliant at expressing abstract concepts and complex ideas with precision.
When it comes to expressing emotions and offering compliments, however, it can sometimes feel a little cold – which is why
Zugewandt
is such a great word to know.
We all need to feel seen and heard sometimes, after all.
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For people struggling to learn German,
Zugewandt
also provides a useful window into how the language works.
Zugewandt
is the past participle of
wenden,
the German verb for 'turn' – which will already be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the country.
Die Wende
('the turn') is the expression used throughout Germany to describe the moment when the Berlin Wall fell and everything in the country changed overnight.
Among German verbs,
wenden
is a Swiss army knife. Just as we can 'turn' something 'on', 'up', 'over', and 'out' in English,
wenden
performs a similarly multi-purpose role in German.
Abwenden
means 'to avert',
Anwenden
means 'to use',
aufwenden
means 'to expend', and
umwenden
means 'to flip over'.
Related adjectives include:
Gewandt
– skilled or agile
Aufwendig
– tiring
Abgewandt
– someone who is distant (the opposite of
zugewandt
)
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Use it like this:
Sie hat eine zugewandte Haltung.
She has a way of making people feel special. (Literally: She has a caring or open attitude.)
Es ist vollkommen verständlich, dass du verwirrt bist, wenn er sich mal nett und zugewandt zeigt und dann wieder abweisend wirkt.
It's completely understandable that you're confused when he's nice and gives you his full attention one minute and then seems distant the next.
Er ist wirklich zugewandt. Wenn er mir zuhört, fühle ich mich wie der interessanteste Mensch der Welt.
He's really attentive. When he listens to me, I feel like the most interesting person in the world.
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2 days ago
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Zugewandt
Some German words, like lieb (kind) and wunderbar (wonderful) sound so much like their meaning that they enter our daily vocabulary almost without any effort on our part. Other words, like zugewandt , give up next to nothing at first glance. For non-native speakers, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either. Which is a shame because zugewandt is the perfect compliment to give someone when they've been there for you in a pinch or made you feel like a million dollars. What does it mean? Pronounced like this , the German adjective zugewandt literally means "turned toward" or "facing". In everyday language, however, it's often used metaphorically to describe someone who is warm, open, and supportive. Above all, it means attentive – in the sense of showing interest in a person, listening to them carefully, and generally appearing excited at the prospect of spending time with them. Why should I know Zugewandt ? The German language is brilliant at expressing abstract concepts and complex ideas with precision. When it comes to expressing emotions and offering compliments, however, it can sometimes feel a little cold – which is why Zugewandt is such a great word to know. We all need to feel seen and heard sometimes, after all. Advertisement For people struggling to learn German, Zugewandt also provides a useful window into how the language works. Zugewandt is the past participle of wenden, the German verb for 'turn' – which will already be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the country. Die Wende ('the turn') is the expression used throughout Germany to describe the moment when the Berlin Wall fell and everything in the country changed overnight. Among German verbs, wenden is a Swiss army knife. Just as we can 'turn' something 'on', 'up', 'over', and 'out' in English, wenden performs a similarly multi-purpose role in German. Abwenden means 'to avert', Anwenden means 'to use', aufwenden means 'to expend', and umwenden means 'to flip over'. Related adjectives include: Gewandt – skilled or agile Aufwendig – tiring Abgewandt – someone who is distant (the opposite of zugewandt ) Advertisement Use it like this: Sie hat eine zugewandte Haltung. She has a way of making people feel special. (Literally: She has a caring or open attitude.) Es ist vollkommen verständlich, dass du verwirrt bist, wenn er sich mal nett und zugewandt zeigt und dann wieder abweisend wirkt. It's completely understandable that you're confused when he's nice and gives you his full attention one minute and then seems distant the next. Er ist wirklich zugewandt. Wenn er mir zuhört, fühle ich mich wie der interessanteste Mensch der Welt. He's really attentive. When he listens to me, I feel like the most interesting person in the world.
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