When to use gern vs gerne

I often hear the question: “What’s the difference between gern and gerne?” Both versions are quite common.

Which one is correct gern or gerne?

The words gern and gerne both mean “gladly,” “like to,” or “love to.”

For all those who have been worried about using these words incorrectly, you can relax. There is no difference between gern and gerne, so you can use either variant.

And there’s even more good news: as you can read on Deutsche Welle, about adverbs, these adverbs don’t need to be declined.

However, if you look at how often the forms gern or gerne are used, you will find that gern is more commonly preferred in written language (such as in books and the daily press).

One more note:

You certainly know the phrase: Gern geschehen!, which means You’re welcome in German. Here it is customary to use only gern!

Example sentences with gern, gerne

Here are some example sentences that you can listen to.

Ich gehe gern ins Kino.
Oder: Ich gehe gerne ins Kino.
I like to go to the cinema.

Beide Sätze haben genau die gleiche Bedeutung!
Both sentences have exactly the same meaning!

Kannst du mir helfen?
Ja, das mache ich gern.
Oder: Ja, das mache ich gerne.

Can you help me?
Yes, I’d be happy to do that.

Kommst du mit in die Disco?
Ja, gern/gerne.

Are you coming to the disco?
Yes, gladly.

Trinkst du gern/gerne Kaffee?
Ja, ich trinke gern/gerne Kaffee.

Do you like to drink coffee?
Yes, I like to drink coffee.

Historical and Regional Differences Between “gerne” and “gern”

There are small differences in how often “gern” and “gerne” are used, depending on the region and time period.

In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, people often say “gerne,” while in northern Germany, “gern” is more popular.

In older German texts, you will find the shorter form “gern” more often, because it was more commonly used in both spoken and written language in the past. Over time, “gerne” has also spread to other regions, so today both forms are used almost everywhere in Germany.

These differences might also make some people feel that “gern” or “gerne” sounds more natural, depending on where they grew up or which version of the language they are used to.

Conclusion: Don’t worry about doing something wrong.

You can use gern or gerne, it doesn’t matter!

There is no difference in the application. However, use the phrase: „Gern geschehen!“ („You’re welcome!“) rather only the form: ‘gern’.

It will pay off in the end! 

I know that learning a second or third language can be very difficult at first but never give up! Even if it seems to be a very long way, it will pay off in the end.