ehrenamtlich
Translation
voluntary, honorary, unpaid
Examples
Sie macht ehrenamtliche Arbeit.
She does voluntary work.
Grammar Patterns
ehrenamtlich + Noun voluntary ~ She is an ehrenamtliche Mitarbeiterin (voluntary employee).
Similar Words
Synonyms: freiwillig (voluntary); Antonyms: bezahlt (paid), beruflich (professional)
Etymology
Derived from 'Ehrenamt' (honorary office) with the adjectival suffix '-lich', similar to '-ly' or '-al' in English.
Memory Tips
Connect it to 'Ehre' (honour). The work is done 'honour-like', meaning for the good of it, not for payment.