How one can distinguish between the usage of "gern" (or "gerne" for this matter) as "gladly" and as "like to"?

Answer 1

"gerne" translates directly to "gladly" and is always used as an adverb, not a verb (as in "like to").

"Ich würde gerne" means "I would gladly" and in context could imply "like to" but doesn't have that direct meaning. For example "Ich würde gerne ins Kino gehen" translates to "I would gladly go to the cinema". In English we wouldn't say it this way and would likely say "I would like to go to the cinema"; however, in German the word "gerne" is often used instead of directly saying "Ich möchte" (I would like to) or "Ich will" (I want) as "I want" is considered too direct and could even be taken rudely (for example when ordering at a restaurant).

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

It's often a matter of personal preference. In many instances, gern and gerne are interchangeable.

"Gern" or "Gerne" by itself would be in response to a question and it means "gladly", or perhaps "I'd love to."

Would you like to go to a movie? Oh ja! Gerne! Do you eat french fries? Ja, gerne!

Ordering at the restaurant:

Ich hätte gern ... I would like ...

Gern geschehen. (Literally "glady occured") You're welcome. Don't mention it.

I habe Dich gern. I like you.

https://www.dict.cc is a really good dictionary for multiple languages. (You'll want to select EN/DE or DE/EN.) It's really good at providing examples in different contexts.