Why do I need to know Schönreden?
Schönreden is an all-too human trait that we tend to encounter a lot in our society, whether somebody is trying to sell us something or a friend is trying to stay on our good side.
If you do end up coming across it, knowing the right vocabulary can help you call it out.
What does it mean?
Schönreden, pronounced like this, is a verb that describes the act of trying to paint something in a positive light - regardless of the reality.
If you already know a little bit of German, you probably understand both of its components: schön, meaning nice or beautiful, and reden, meaning talk. Taken together, it literally means "to nice-talk", but a better translation might be "glossing over", "sugarcoating" or "whitewashing" in English.
As these translations suggest, schönreden isn't quite the same as praising something or talking something up. While it's perfectly possible to heap deserved praise on something (or somebody), schönreden implies that you are deliberately concealing flaws and imperfections.
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When an estate agent shows you around an apartment the size of a shoebox, they may well describe it as a "cosy" and "intimate" set-up. Or looking around that ground-floor flat that looks out onto the bins in your Hinterhof, they may tell you how great it is to not have to climb any stairs. Both of these scenarios are prime examples of schönreden.
Schönreden is an accusation that is often levelled at politicians as well, as they try and gloss over the dents in their record or a litany of unkept promises. It's also something you'll encounter when CEOs of big companies present their financial reports, emphasising small wins and skimming over huge losses.
Use it like this:
In der Schule hat er immer versucht, seine schlechte Noten schönzureden.
At school he always tried to sugarcoat his bad grades.
Das Unternehmen hat es schöngeredet, aber der Verlust von Arbeitsplätzen war unvermeidlich.
The company glossed over it, but job losses were inevitable.
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