dankbar

grateful, thankful

adjective DANK-bar Rare

Also means

rewarding (of tasks)

Usage Note

dankbar describes both gratitude (ich bin sehr dankbar = I am very grateful) and a task that brings reward: eine dankbare Aufgabe is a satisfying, rewarding task. Its opposite undankbar means both 'ungrateful' and 'thankless'.

Examples

"Sie war dankbar für jede Hilfe, die sie in schwierigen Zeiten erhielt."

Natural Translation

She was grateful for every bit of help she received in difficult times.

Literal Translation

She was grateful for every help that she in difficult times received.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read