gelegentlich

Based on: ge-, liegen
Adverb
1.

occasionally, on occasion

Examples
  • "Trinkst du Alkohol?""Gelegentlich."
  • "Do you drink?""Occasionally."

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Sources for Etymology:

My Articles

Word of the Day – “liegen”

A fun look at the various meanings of "liegen" and how to use the super common phrasing "liegen an".

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Questions and Comments

Do you have questions about the usage or meaning of “gelegentlich”? Just ask here and I’ll try to clear it up.

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3 Comments
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johnathanflaker
johnathanflaker

The adjective ‘gelegen’ is quoted in dictionaries as being about location/convenience, but this seems a bit at odds with gelegentlich. Can you confirm the definition please.
Thanks.

Emanuel
Emanuel

It’s best to think of “gelegen” with two ideas:

1) situated, placed

  • Das Haus ist schön gelegen.
  • The house is in a nice spot.

This is pretty much directly based on the verb “liegen” in terms of “be situated”

2) convenient, good timing

The idea is that something is “in a good spot” but in a metaphorical sense. So some circumstance is “convenient” for you.

“gelegentlich” is a bit different in that it’s “occasionally”, but think of hiking a trail and occasionally, there is a hut “situated”.
Does that help?

johnathanflaker
johnathanflaker
Reply to  Emanuel

Yes, thanks very much

How many meanings does the German word 'gelegentlich' have?

gelegentlich has 1 distinct meaning: 1. occasionally, on occasion.

What is 'gelegentlich' related to?

The word 'gelegentlich' is related to ge- and liegen.

Where can I learn more about 'gelegentlich'?

Here are some articles where you can learn more about 'gelegentlich':

Word of the Day – “liegen”
A fun look at the various meanings of "liegen" and how to use the super common phrasing "liegen an".
Read article