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Comparative 'gern' → 'lieber' (gladly → rather/preferably)
Komparativ 'gern' → 'lieber'
Irregular : gern → lieber (used to say what you prefer).
Structure
gern → lieber (+ als)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Adverb
- Word Type
- Comparative (irregular)
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
What it is. lieber is the of gern. While gern means you like doing something, lieber means you prefer doing something. It modifies a verb, not a .
Formation. Put lieber after the conjugated , and use als to name the less-preferred option. The scale is gern → lieber → am liebsten (most of all).
Examples.
- Ich trinke lieber Tee als Kaffee. - I prefer drinking tea to coffee.
- Sie spielt lieber Tennis als Fußball. - She prefers playing tennis to football.
- Wir bleiben heute lieber zu Hause. - We would rather stay home today.
Common mistakes.
- lieber describes the action (the ), so it is Ich trinke lieber Tee, not Ich bin lieber Tee.
- Use als for the compared option: lieber Tee als Kaffee.
- Do not confuse the lieber with möchten; lieber always pairs with a you do gladly.
About Comparative 'gern' → 'lieber' (gladly → rather/preferably)
Irregular : gern → lieber (used to say what you prefer).
'lieber' is the irregular of 'gern'; it says what you prefer doing.
Unregelmäßiger : gern → lieber (Vorliebe).
Caution
'lieber' is the comparative of 'gern' and modifies a verb: 'Ich trinke lieber Tee'.