Building Simple Sentences

Introducing Yourself in German!#

One of the very first things you need to know in any language is how to talk about yourself! In German, the phrase "Ich bin..." (ikh bin) means "I am...". This is one of the most important phrases in the entire German language.

What Is "Ich"?#

Ich (ikh) means "I" in German. The spelling looks unusual because it dös not start with a capital letter (unless it is at the start of a sentence), but in English we always capitalize "I". In German, only nouns and words starting a sentence get capitals.

The pronunciation of "ich" is a soft sound, a little like saying a gentle "ikh" at the back of your throat. It is one of those sounds that is unique to German!

Introducing Yourself#

With "Ich bin", you can tell people your name and other things about yourself:

• Ich bin Anna. — I am Anna.
• Ich bin sieben Jahre alt. (ikh bin zee-ben yah-reh alt) — I am seven years old.
• Ich bin ein Schüler. (ikh bin ine shü-ler) — I am a student. (boy)
• Ich bin eine Schülerin. (ikh bin eye-neh shü-ler-in) — I am a student. (girl)
• Ich bin müde. (ikh bin mü-deh) — I am tired.
• Ich bin glücklich. (ikh bin gluek-likh) — I am happy.

Describing How You Feel#

With "Ich bin", you can also describe your feelings:

• Ich bin froh. — I am glad.
• Ich bin traurig. (ikh bin trow-rikh) — I am sad.
• Ich bin aufgeregt. (ikh bin owf-geh-regt) — I am excited.
• Ich bin hungrig. (ikh bin hoon-grikh) — I am hungry.
• Ich bin durstig. (ikh bin door-stikh) — I am thirsty.

Asking About Others#

You can ask someone else about themselves using:

"Wie heißt du?" (vee hyst doo) — What is your name? (literally: "How are you called?")

"Wie alt bist du?" (vee alt bist doo) — How old are you?

And the answer: "Ich heiße Anna." (ikh hy-seh) — My name is Anna. (literally: I am called Anna) "Ich bin acht Jahre alt." — I am eight years old.

A Simple Self-Introduction#

Here is a full self-introduction in German:

"Hallo! Ich heiße Max. Ich bin acht Jahre alt. Ich bin ein Schüler. Ich bin glücklich. Ich lerne gerne Deutsch!"

Translation: Hello! My name is Max. I am eight years old. I am a student. I am happy. I like learning German!

Can you write your own introduction like this? Try it! This is excellent practice.