adjective

gelungen

successful

Dies beschreibt ein Ergebnis, das genau so geworden ist, wie man es sich gewünscht hat. Man benutzt es, wenn etwas erfolgreich war oder sehr gut geklappt hat.

Definition & meaning

The word gelungen is the past participle of the verb gelingen . It is used as an adjective to describe something that has turned out well, has been successful, or is well-executed.

Successful/Well-executed: When an undertaking, a plan, or a creation has been completed with a positive result. For example, a "gelungenes Experiment" (a successful experiment) or a "gelungenes Fest" (a successful party).
Aesthetically pleasing/Well-done: It can also describe the quality of something, implying that it is well-designed, clever, or impressive in its execution (e.g., "ein gelungener Entwurf" - a well-executed design).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is an adjective derived from the past participle of the strong verb gelingen . As an adjective, it follows standard German declension rules (e.g., "ein gelungener Abend," "eine gelungene Überraschung").

Origin: The word stems from the Middle High German "gelingen," which originally meant "to turn out" or "to have a result" (often used in a neutral sense). Over time, the meaning shifted exclusively to denote a positive or successful outcome.