ParticleA1

los

come on, let's go, go! · off, away, loose · what's happening, what's wrong

Los is a versatile word used to urge someone to start or continue, to say something is beginning, or to ask what is happening. It often appears in fixed phrases like 'los geht's' (here we go) and 'was ist los?' (what's up?).

What los means

  1. come on, let's go, go! — used to encourage someone to start or continue an action
  2. off, away, loose — in separable verbs like loslassen (let go) or as an adjective meaning 'loose'
  3. what's happening, what's wrong — in the phrase 'was ist los?'

Heard in real German videos

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

  • Und es geht los.And here we go.
  • Okay, los geht's. Schön weitermachen.Okay, here we go. Keep it up nicely.
  • Was ist hier los?What's going on here?

Example sentences

  • Los, wir müssen gehen!Come on, we have to go!
  • Es geht los.It's starting.
  • Was ist hier los?What's going on here?
  • Lass mich los!Let me go!

Common phrases

  • los geht'shere we go, let's go
  • was ist los?what's up?, what's wrong?
  • loslassento let go

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers may confuse German 'los' with the English word 'lose' (to not win) or mispronounce it. In German, 'los' as an adjective means 'loose', but the inflected form 'lose' is not the same as the English word. Remember that 'los' as an adjective is less common than 'locker'.

Don’t confuse it with

  • lose — Lose is the inflected form of the adjective 'los' (loose), but 'los' as a particle is used in phrases like 'los geht's'.

Questions learners ask

What does 'los geht's' mean?

It means 'here we go' or 'let's go' and is used to signal the start of an activity.

How do you use 'los' to encourage someone?

You can simply say 'Los!' to mean 'Come on!' or 'Go!' to urge someone to start or continue.

What is the difference between 'los' and 'lose'?

'Los' is the base form used as a particle or adjective, while 'lose' is the inflected form for feminine or plural nouns, e.g., 'eine lose Schraube' (a loose screw).