German - Expressing preference (gern, lieber)

In German, you express what you like or prefer by adding specific adverbs right after the action verb.

Liking an action: gern

To say you enjoy an activity, place gern (gladly) after the verb. For emphasis, use sehr gern. Use viel (a lot) to talk about the quantity or frequency of an action or thing.

I work a lot, but I like sleeping very much.

Ich arbeite viel, aber ich schlafe sehr gern.

The girl eats a lot of fruit, but no salad.

Das Mädchen isst viel Obst, aber keinen Salat.

Expressing preference: lieber

To say you prefer doing something, use lieber (preferably / rather). You will often see gern and lieber used together to contrast choices.

Anna likes swimming, but she prefers dancing.

Anna schwimmt gern, aber sie tanzt lieber.

We really like eating meat, but Peter prefers eating fish.

Wir essen sehr gern Fleisch, aber Peter isst lieber Fisch.

I like drinking coffee, but I prefer drinking milk.

Ich trinke gern Kaffee, aber ich trinke lieber Milch.

You can also use lieber on its own to state a preference when turning down an alternative.

I do not eat meat. I prefer eating salad.

Ich esse kein Fleisch. Ich esse lieber Salat.