lieber Sohn
/ˈliːbɐ zoːn/word by word
The English phrase "dear son" is translated into German as lieber Sohn.
The phrase is an affectionate way to address or refer to one's own son.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Sohn literally means "son".
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, the adjective lieber must change its ending to match the gender and grammatical case of the noun Sohn.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form lieber Sohn is in the nominative case, used when the phrase is the subject of a sentence or a direct address. When the phrase is the direct object of a sentence, it changes to meinen lieben Sohn. If used after a dative preposition like mit (with) or zu (to), the phrase changes to meinem lieben Sohn.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈliːbɐ zoːn/
Did you know?
- While lieber Sohn is affectionate, adding the word mein to create mein lieber Sohn can sometimes signal that the speaker is about to give a serious lecture or a correction.
- The adjective lieber is a cognate of the archaic English word 'liever', which was once used to express a preference.
- In German culture, using lieber as a greeting in a letter to a son is standard, but in spoken conversation, parents often use an endearing diminutive or a nickname instead.
Examples in context
- Und jetzt komme ich zu dem überraschendsten Teil meiner Geschichte, mein lieber Sohn.And now I come to the most surprising part of my story, my dear son.This sentence shows how to use lieber Sohn when addressing someone in a story.Tatoeba #9082693 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6981824 by Hybrid
- Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, lieber Sohn!Happy birthday, dear son!
- Ich bin so stolz auf dich, lieber Sohn.I am so proud of you, dear son.
Example conversation
Laura is giving Lukas a gift for his graduation.
- LauraHerzlichen Glückwunsch, mein lieber Sohn!Congratulations, my dear son!
- LukasVielen Dank, Mama!Thank you very much, Mom!
- LauraHier ist ein kleines Geschenk für dich.Here is a little gift for you.
- LukasDas ist wirklich sehr lieb von dir.That is really very kind of you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (lieber, Sohn) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sohn, lieber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
