Gern vs. Gerne
What's the difference between "gern" and "gerne" in German? Or can the two words be used interchangeably?
As a German learner, you may have encountered the words gern and gerne and wondered what the difference is between them.
While there often are slight differences between words like these in German, the short answer here is that gern & gerne actually can be swapped out for one another.
Examples with Gern
I like playing soccer.
We like watching movies.
He likes eating pizza.
Examples with Gerne
I like playing soccer.
Would you like to eat ice cream?
I gladly accept the offer.
Dialogue
Let's take a look at a dialogue between two friends, Sarah and Layla, to illustrate how gern and gerne can be used:




In the dialogue, Sarah uses gerne to express her liking for going to the movies, while she uses gerne to indicate that she would like to see the new action movie. Layla uses gerne to accept Sarah's invitation to the movies.
...and in all three cases, the word gern would work just the same:




Conclusion
In summary, both gern and gerne mean "like" or "enjoy" in English. Gern & gerne are often used in conjunction with verbs to express that you like doing something.
The two words can be swapped out for one another, so just go ahead and don't worry whether you've picked the wrong one - there is not right choice here.