Here are some of the most basic German phrases to get you started. Further on in this lesson we will look at the pronunciation of these and more German phrases.
- Wie geht es dir? - How are you? (casual)
- Wie geht es Ihnen? - How are you? (formal)
- Mir geht es gut - I’m well.
- Mir geht es nicht so gut - I’m not so well.
- Alles in Ordnung? - Everything alright?
- Ich möchte gerne… - I would like to...
- Ich möchte so gerne - I would love to
- Gerne - Certainly
- Du siehst toll aus! - You look great!
- Kann ich helfen? - Can I help?
Resources for further reading:
How to pronounce common German phrases
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
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Wie geht es dir?
How are you? (casual)
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Wie geht es Ihnen?
How are you? (formal)
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Mir geht es gut
I'm well.
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Mir geht es nicht so gut
I'm not so well.
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Alles in Ordnung?
Everything alright?
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Ich möchte gerne…
I would like to...
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Ich möchte so gerne
I would love to
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Gerne
Certainly
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Du siehst toll aus!
You look great!
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Kann ich helfen?
Can I help?
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Möchtest du…
Would you like…(casual)
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Möchten Sie…
Would you like…(formal)
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Das ist sehr nett
That is very nice
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Das ist sehr freundlich
That is very kind
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Das gefällt mir sehr gut
I like that very much
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Das macht Spaß
That's fun
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Das macht keinen Spaß
That's no fun
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Bitte
Please
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Danke
Thanks
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Vielen Dank
Thank you very much
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Danke schön
Thanks a lot
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Nichts zu danken
You're welcome
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Like or Love?
If you want to express that you are fond of someone you can say
Ich mag dich.
I like you.
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You could also say
Ich habe dich lieb
I like you very much / I am very fond of you
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There is no equivalent in English for “Ich habe dich lieb,” it’s kind of between “I like you” and “I love you.” It basically means that you like someone very, very much. For example a mother might use it to tell her child how fond she is of him or her. It is most often used between family members.
If you want to confess your love to someone, just say
Ich liebe dich.
I love you.
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Hopefully the answer will be
Ich liebe dich auch
I love you, too.
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For example:
Ich mag dich sehr gerne.
I like you lots
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Ich habe dich sehr lieb.
I like you very much
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Ich liebe dich über alles.
I love you more than anything.
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Why not check out some more lessons on German phrases next?
- How do you describe yourself in German? It's easy with this lesson!
- What about describing other people in German? Check this German lesson out.
- Know how to say good luck in German.
Bis bald!
Paul Weber: Rocket German
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