PronounA1

ich

I

The German word for 'I'. It is always capitalized and refers to the speaker. Unlike other German pronouns, it is always capitalized.

Heard in real German videos

Lines where ich was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

  • Ich glaube, es wird noch regnen.I think it's going to rain.

Example sentences

  • Ich bin müde.I am tired.
  • Ich habe einen Hund.I have a dog.
  • Ich gehe jetzt nach Hause.I am going home now.

Grammar

Nominativeich
Accusativemich
Dativemir

The verb form for 'ich' usually ends in -e, e.g. ich gehe, ich mache.

Common phrases

  • ich auchme too
  • ich weißI know
  • ich liebe dichI love you

The mistake English speakers make

Forgetting to capitalize 'ich' in the middle of a sentence. In German, 'ich' is always capitalized, unlike English 'I' which is always capitalized but other pronouns are not.

Don’t confuse it with

  • mich — 'mich' is the accusative form, used as the direct object, while 'ich' is the subject.
  • mir — 'mir' is the dative form, used as the indirect object or after certain prepositions.

Questions learners ask

When do I use 'ich' vs 'mich'?

Use 'ich' as the subject of the sentence (the one doing the action). Use 'mich' as the direct object (the one receiving the action).

Is 'ich' always capitalized?

Yes, 'ich' is always capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence.

How do I conjugate verbs with 'ich'?

Most verbs take the ending -e for 'ich', e.g. ich spiele, ich mache. Some irregular verbs have vowel changes, e.g. ich sehe, ich nehme.

Related words

duersiewirihr