(pronounced //) is a German abstract noun whose closest English equivalent is cosiness. However, rather than basically just describing a place as not too large, well-heated and nicely furnished (a cosy room, a cosy flat), Gemütlichkeit connotes, much more than cosiness, the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the spending of quality time in a place as described above. A similar word exists in Dutch as well, gezelligheid. There is also a Danish equivalent (hygge), which basically means the same. In Russian, the word commonly translated as cosiness, уют (ujut), carries almost identical connotations as the German word.

Queen Victoria is said to have been one of the first to use the adjective gemütlich in English. Today, the word is frequently used in descriptions of holiday destinations. Gemütlichkeit may be sought by adults as well as young people, who do not necessarily always prefer excitement.

See also

• Feng Shui

German loanwords

Hyggelig | Gemütlichkeit | Gezelligheid