I disagree with your intuitions about "gemütlich". Geselligkeit requires more than one person. Gemütlichkeit does not.

"Sich einen gemütlichen Abend machen" does not require anything more than a comfortable sofa, dimmed-down lights and a good book.

And it looks like other native speakers are in agreement here:

http://de.answers.yahoo.com/question...0103912AAhNG0o

>Staying by yourself either at home or at a pub is neither gemütlich or gezellig.

Gesellig no, because that means being in (pleasant) company. But you can have a "gemütlichen Abend" all by yourself, there is no company needed, and the term does not necessarily imply company. These two words do not mean the same at all. Trust a native speaker.

I don't speak Dutch but gesellig and gemütlich are two different concepts in German - although there is some overlap. You can most definitely be "gemütlich" all by yourself. Think cozy(ness).

And while Gemütlichkeit is a German word I don't think that the word is used much at all. Don't think I've ever used it - except when speaking to Americans who apparently think that the Oktoberfest is a prime example of the concept.

Well, there is that song... "Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit". And according to Wikipedia it's "(ein) gängiger Trinkspruch auf dem Oktoberfest"

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosit

(Never been to Oktoberfest - not my scene!)

Yes, you're right. Maybe that's the origin of the American disconnect with the concept. That is certainly a song that gets played during the "Wiesn" about a 100 times a day. But still, no resident of Munich would ever call the Oktoberfest "gemütlich". It's usually the exact opposite.

Well, I do speak Dutch and German and the two words in German are certainly related. In fact, in my Dutch/German dictionary, gesellig is translated as gezellig (not the first definition though) and gemütlich is translated as gezllig. So, if A=C and B=C, then A=B (OK, these are words, not numbers, but I'm showing a relationship).

If you think you can be gemütlich (or gezellig) by yourself, that's a context that is new to me.

I can certainly understand your point about Oktoberfest and gemütlich (although I've never been there myself), as I can't see how you could call a tent with several hundred people "cozy." However, the social aspect of the word could apply provided you've "connected" with some of those people. Nevertheless, I would agree that a mass event could probably never be called gemütlich or gezellig.

When I think Gemütlichkeit, a different song comes to my mind: http://youtu.be/Bp_5viK2lTo

Probier's mal mit Gemütlichkeit, mit Ruhe und Gemütlichkeit.

If Germans say they are planning on having a 'gemütlicher Abend', it usually means that they will spend it by themselves. If it is with friends, that's usually specified ('mit Freunden'). I have never heard of anybody having a 'gemütlicher Abend' in a bar etc. Public places can be 'gemütlich' but that has nothing to do with 'Geselligkeit' but with the atmosphere of the place.
If you check the Duden, you will find that Geselligkeit is just one possible aspect of Gemütlichkeit.

Again, you may want to listen to the native speakers.

What is the basis of this statement? Why is that it conflicts with Germans? For example, here: http://www.erdbeerlounge.de/erdbeert...nd-_t1754402s1

Not single post on that page supports your claim of spending it alone or at home.

That's not how I read it. There are less than a handful of posts that refer to being outside of the domestic sphere ("Mit meinen Freundinnen im Rosencafé sitzen", "Mit meinen Freunden bei Sonnenuntergang am Rhein liegen"). All the others talk about being in the home or garden, either alone or with friends.

I think one should trust those with native-speaker intuitions here...

Yes, I think I over-stated because of that silly post. But, I would add that the number of posts with "Terasse" are speaking about a café or pub, so I should correct myself and say a good number disagree about spending the time at home.

But I stand by the statement that not a single post refers to spending the evening alone.
I agree.

Now that you made me read through those comments, here we go:

:):)

Oh, bravo. You've managed to dig out four from about 40 comments toward what end?

Does you think this somehow makes you ex-pats correct?

As several here have said: listen to the native speakers.

Well, four is certainly more than "not a single one". And how do know that I'm not a native speaker? ;)