Whether you're enjoying a sunny afternoon, a guilty indulgence, or just laughing with friends—Germans call it Vergnügen. It’s the word for pleasure that’s lighthearted, fun, and enjoyable—never too serious.
The noun Vergnügen means pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in both polite phrases and casual fun.
It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Vergnügen.
Pronunciation
Vergnügen is pronounced [fer-GNÜ-gen].
- The ü is like the French u or saying “ee” with lips shaped for “oo,”
- The gn is smooth and blended (not harsh like in English),
- Stress is on the second syllable: fer-GNÜ-gen
It’s smooth, polite, and a little bit fancy—just like fine chocolate or classical music.
Example sentences:
- Es war mir ein Vergnügen, Sie kennenzulernen.
It was a pleasure to meet you. - Dieses Konzert war ein echtes Vergnügen.
This concert was a real pleasure.
Nuance and usage tips
Vergnügen is somewhat formal but friendly. It’s used in:
- Polite conversation
- Mit Vergnügen! – With pleasure! (a polite “yes”)
- Ganz mein Vergnügen! – My pleasure!
- Entertainment / enjoyment
- Vergnügungspark – amusement park
- Vergnügungsreise – pleasure trip / holiday
- Vergnügen am Leben – enjoyment of life
- Irony or sarcasm
- Na, das war ja ein Vergnügen. – “Well, that was fun.” (usually not meant sincerely)
Its antonyms include:
- Leid (suffering),
- Langeweile (boredom),
- Pflicht (duty, when contrasted with pleasure)
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Das Vergnügen war ganz auf meiner Seite.
The pleasure was all mine. - Accusative:
Ich wünsche dir viel Vergnügen beim Film.
Enjoy the movie! - Dative:
Mit dem Vergnügen kam auch die Entspannung.
With the pleasure came relaxation. - Genitive:
Wegen des Vergnügens hat er seine Arbeit vernachlässigt.
Because of the pleasure, he neglected his work.
Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Vergnuegen
🎥 Learn Vergnügen and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For fun, Germans might also say Spaß. Vergnügen tends to be a bit more formal, refined, or situationally polite. But when you’re looking for a word to describe pleasure—whether sincere or ironic—Vergnügen is the one.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Norden means? How about Süden? Find out!