seine Worte zurücknehmen
The English phrase 'eat your words' is translated into German as seine Worte zurücknehmen.
This phrase is used to describe the act of admitting that something you previously said was incorrect.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means 'to take back one's words'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase seine Worte zurücknehmen, the word seine acts as a placeholder. You must replace it with a possessive pronoun that agrees with the subject of your sentence. For example, you would say ich nehme meine Worte zurück or du nimmst deine Worte zurück.
Did you know?
- While English uses the physical act of eating, Germans use the concept of retrieval. The verb zurücknehmen is the same word used when a store accepts a returned product for a refund.
- The word zurück is composed of the elements zu and rück, where rück is an archaic form related to the English word 'back'.
- In a professional German setting, instead of this idiom, one might use the formal term widerrufen, which is specifically used for legally retracting a statement or a claim.
Examples in context
- Du wirst deine Worte zurücknehmen müssen!You will have to take back your words!
- Er musste seine Worte zurücknehmen.He had to eat his words.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zurücknehmen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
