genügevsgenügendWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: genüge is a verb, genügend is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“genüge” is a verb and “genügend” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#15,896
“genüge” frequency rank
#2,767
“genügend” frequency rank
18663
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature genüge genügend
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs genügen von zufriedenstellender Menge oder Qualität

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set genüge and genügend apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
genüge
8 ch
genügend

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: genüge is [ɡəˈnyːɡə] while genügend is [ɡəˈnyːɡn̩t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “genüge” sits inside “genügend”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18663, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

genüge is recorded at frequency rank #15,896, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːɡə]. genügend is at rank #2,767, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːɡn̩t].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 18663, this pair ranks #1,916,100 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of genüge vs genügend

Shared letters: egnü. Private to "genüge": -. Private to "genügend": d.

"genüge" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "genügend" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

genüge#15,896
genügend#2,767

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "genüge" and "genügend" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "genüge" is a verb and "genügend" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "genüge" or "genügend"?
"genügend" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,767 in our German list, against #15,896 for "genüge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering genüge vs genügend

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “genüge”; for an adjective, it's “genügend”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “genüge” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list