German Jealousy & Envy Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of jealousy, envy, and grudges: eifersüchtig, der Neid, and gönnen among them. The trap here is gönnen, which English speakers keep mistranslating because English has no direct equivalent for "to not begrudge someone something" - it's a mindset, not just an absence of envy, and Germans use it constantly in everyday speech.
Learn these 18 words
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All 18 words
jealous
Er wird schnell eifersüchtig auf Freunde. — He quickly becomes jealous of friends.
envy
Neid vergiftet oft die Freundschaft. — Envy often poisons friendship.
- neidischA2
envious
Sie ist neidisch auf ihre Schwester. — She is envious of her sister.
- beneidenB1
to envy
Ich beneide dich um deinen Erfolg. — I envy you for your success.
- gönnenB1
to not begrudge
Ich gönne dir deinen neuen Job. — I don't begrudge you your new job.
distrust
Ihr Misstrauen wuchs von Tag zu Tag. — Her distrust grew day by day.
suspicious, distrustful
Er wurde misstrauisch, als sie log. — He became suspicious when she lied.
holding grudges, resentful
Sei nicht so nachtragend, vergib ihm. — Don't be so resentful, forgive him.
plural: die Rivalen
rival (male)
Er sieht seinen Kollegen als Rivalen. — He sees his colleague as a rival.
plural: die Rivalinnen
rival (female)
Ihre Rivalin bekam die bessere Note. — Her rival got the better grade.
plural: die Rivalitäten
rivalry
Zwischen den Brüdern herrscht ständige Rivalität. — There is constant rivalry between the brothers.
to sulk, to pout
Das Kind schmollt, weil es verloren hat. — The child sulks because it lost.
jealousy
Die Eifersucht vergiftete ihre gesamte Beziehung. — Jealousy poisoned their entire relationship.
- grollenB2
to bear a grudge
Sie grollt ihm seit Jahren. — She has held a grudge against him for years.
to begrudge
Sie missgönnt ihm seinen Erfolg. — She begrudges him his success.
envy / jealousy / resentment
Die Missgunst zwischen den beiden Konkurrenten war offensichtlich. — The resentment between the two competitors was obvious.
plural: die Ressentiments
resentment (wenig benutzt)
Das Ressentiment gegenüber seinem Erfolg war tiefe. — The resentment toward his success was deep.
plural: die Zwiespälte
a conflict / gulf
Ein großer Zwiespalt teilte die Familie. — A great conflict divided the family.
How to learn this set
Notice that der Rivale and die Rivalin are the same word with different endings for male and female rivals, while die Rivalität is the abstract noun built from that same root - learn all three together instead of separately. Also drill the gönnen/missgönnen pair as opposites: gönnen is being glad for someone, missgönnen is resenting them for it, and mixing up the missing negative prefix is an easy mistake. Separately, group grollen, schmollen, and nachtragend, since all three describe holding onto bad feeling rather than acting on it in the moment, unlike the sharper Neid or Eifersucht.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Neid and Eifersucht?
Neid (envy) is wanting something someone else has, like their car or job. Eifersucht (jealousy) is the fear of losing someone's affection to a rival, as in a relationship. Beneiden (to envy) works with Neid; you don't 'beeifersüchten' anyone, you're just eifersüchtig auf jemanden.
What does gönnen mean and why is it hard to translate?
Gönnen means to be genuinely happy for someone getting something good, with no envy attached. English has no single verb for this, so it's usually rendered as 'I don't begrudge you that' or 'good for you'. Its opposite, missgönnen, is the actual word for begrudging someone something.
Is Missgunst the same as Neid?
They overlap, but Missgunst leans more toward resentment at someone's good fortune, while Neid is the plainer word for wanting what someone else has. In everyday speech Neid is far more common; Missgunst sounds a bit more formal or literary.
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