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LEARNING GERMAN

8 phrases you need for getting romantic in German

With Valentine’s day just around the corner, here are some essential phrases to help you woo your German lover.

Published: 8 February 2023 09:53 CET
Updated: 14 February 2023 08:47 CET
A woman holds a heart-shaped balloon in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
A woman holds a heart-shaped balloon in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl

1. Ich habe Schmetterlinge im Bauch

The feeling of excitement and anticipation when you set eyes on your crush is the same for Germans as it is for English-native speakers, it seems: the phrase “having butterflies in the stomach” – or Schmetterlinge im Bauch – is widely used in Germany too. 

2. Ich bin verknallt in dich

Before you reach the being-in-love part of a relationship, you may find yourself being verknallt in someone – meaning to have a crush on someone.

READ ALSO: ‘A huge leap’: How it feels to move to Germany for love

As the noun Knall means “bang” or “crash” in German, it’s likely that the expression comes from the feeling of being hit with a crashing infatuation. 

If you want to hear the phrase sung, along with some other sweet German declarations of loving admiration, listen to this song from German cabaret sing, Helge Scheider.

3. Du machst mich an

If you want to take things up a notch from hand-holding and smooching, you might want to drop this one into conversation with your beau. 

Anmachen literally means “to switch on” in German, but in the context of love, it means “to turn on”. 

4. Du hast wunderschöne Augen

A stone-cold dating classic that’s sure to bring a smile to your German sweetheart’s face. Meaning “you have beautiful eyes” this phrase is a guaranteed winner. Of course, you can replace Augen (“eyes”) with any other part that you find particularly beautiful. Ahem.

5. Ich kann nicht aufhören, an dich zu denken

Used sparingly, this phrase, which means “I can’t stop thinking about you” can be the ultimate compliment for your German lover. Try not to overuse it though, lest you stray into creepy territory.

A couple kisses in New York City. Photo: Clay Banks/Unsplash

6. Willst du mein Freund/meine Freundin sein?

In the modern world – and especially in the dating scene of the German capital, Berlin – it might not always be clear where you stand with your lover in terms of exclusivity. 

READ ALSO: 10 reasons why you should date (or even fall in love with) a German

To clear things up and move to the next level by becoming an official girlfriend or boyfriend you can ask this question, which means “Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend?”

Hopefully, they won’t say Ich bin nicht auf der Suche nach etwas Ernstem (“I’m not looking for anything serious”).

7. Ich bin in dich verliebt

Ah, to be in love. This is the phrase you want to save for that special someone when you know it’s really love, as it means “I am in love with you”. 

Another, very straightforward way to declare your love is to say “Ich liebe dich” or even “Ich hab’ dich lieb”.

8. Küss mich

Even if you don’t know any German, you can probably guess what this one means. But it’s just so crucial – we put it in anyway. Now kiss me.

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LEARNING GERMAN

How Germans’ English language mistakes can help you learn German

The common mistakes Germans make when speaking English can reveal useful insights about the German language and help you to remember certain rules.

Published: 3 July 2024 11:35 CEST
Updated: 6 July 2024 07:20 CEST
How Germans’ English language mistakes can help you learn German

For many people trying to learn German, one common frustration is that their learning process is hampered by Germans switching to speaking English. But sometimes, this can actually be an advantage.

Here are some frequent errors Germans make when speaking English and what they can teach us about German.

Mistake: I have lived here since five years.

This is one of the most common mistakes because, in German, the word seit is used to mean both “since” and “for.” For example, Ich lebe in Berlin seit fünf Jahren means “I have lived here since five years ago” and “I have lived here for five years.” In English, however, “since” is used for a specific starting point, and “for” is used for a duration.

READ ALSO: 5 of the most cringeworthy mistakes I’ve made in German

Pronunciation of the Letter “W”

One of the biggest giveaways that someone is German is their pronunciation of the letter “W” as “V” when speaking English. For example, they might say, “Could you pass me the vasser?” instead of “water.”

Conversely, many English speakers struggle to correctly pronounce the letter “V” in German, which is more like the English “F.” For instance, the German word Vogel (meaning “bird”) should be pronounced “Fogel.”

Mistake: I make my homework.

In German, the verb machen means both “make” and “do,” which can confuse the poor German speaker when they’re talking in English. For German learners, this mistake can help you to remember that machen covers more ground in German, while English distinguishes between “make” (creating something) and “do” (performing an action). 

A German dictionary. Shelley has learned a new language in her time in Germany.

A German dictionary. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Oliver Berg

Mistake: I go to the party tomorrow.

Germans often use the present tense along with a timeframe to indicate future actions, as in Ich gehe morgen zur Party, which in English would be “I will go to the party tomorrow”. Use this mistake to help you remember that you don’t always need to make things complicated by using the future tense when speaking in German as, often, the present tense works just as well. 

Mistake: Can you borrow me a pen?

The German verb leihen is one of the few examples where English is helpfully more specific. In English, we clearly distinguish between “borrow,” which means to take something temporarily, and “lend,” which means to give something temporarily. In German, leihen can mean both “borrow” and “lend”, making the context of the sentence the key to determining the right meaning. 

Mistake: This is the book from my friend.

Germans often use structures like Das ist das Buch von meinem Freund, which translates directly to “This is the book from my friend.” In English, however, it’s more common to use possessive pronouns, saying “This is my friend’s book” instead. Keep this common mistake in mind next time you’re struggling to talk about ownership in German.

READ ALSO: 10 simple phrases to make your German sound more impressive

Mistake: We need to finish this until Wednesday.

Germans often use “until” when they mean “by” when speaking in English. For example, Wir müssen das bis Mittwoch fertigstellen should translate to “We need to finish this by Wednesday,” not “until Wednesday.” The reason for this common mistake is that the word bis is used to mean both  “until” and “by”. Another example of English being more precise than German!

Mistake: We see us tomorrow.

In German, uns (“us”) is often used in contexts where English would use “each other.” For example, Wir sehen uns morgen translates directly to “We see us tomorrow,” but it should be “We will see each other tomorrow.” 

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