grinsen

grinsen

To smirk or grin.

Here, 'grinsen' is used as a verb describing the act of smiling broadly in response to pleasant news, emphasizing a joyful and involuntary facial expression.

Er konnte nicht anders, als breit zu grinsen, als er die gute Nachricht hörte.

He couldn't help but grin widely when he heard the good news.

In this example, 'Grinsen' is used as a noun, referring to the physical expression—a smile—that gives away understanding or amusement.

Ihr Grinsen verriet, dass sie genau wusste, wovon geredet wurde.

Her grin revealed that she knew exactly what was being talked about.

Here, 'spöttisches Grinsen' frames 'grinsen' in a specific manner—'mocking grin,' showing its flexibility to convey subtleties of emotional expression.

Ich konnte sein spöttisches Grinsen deutlich sehen, was mich ärgerte.

I could clearly see his mocking grin, which annoyed me.