Gott sei mit dir
The English phrase 'God be with you' is translated into German as Gott sei mit dir.
This phrase is used to wish someone well or to say goodbye.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Gott (God), sei (the subjunctive form of 'to be'), mit (with) and dir (you, in the dative case).
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a group of people instead of one person, change dir to euch to say Gott sei mit euch. To use the formal 'you', replace dir with Ihnen to say Gott sei mit Ihnen.
Did you know?
- While the phrase is grammatically correct, saying Gott sei mit dir in a modern German cafe might sound incredibly dramatic or archaic, like something from a medieval fantasy novel.
- The word Gott is a cognate of the Gothic word guþ, reflecting a linguistic link to the ancient East Germanic languages.
- In some traditional German regions, saying Gott befohlen is a shorthand variation that implies 'I entrust you to God'.
Examples in context
- Gott sei mit dir!God be with you.This sentence is useful for expressing 'God be with you.' using Gott sei mit dir.Tatoeba #2514771 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2510956 by Hybrid
- Gott sei mit Ihnen!God be with you!
- Geh in Frieden, Gott sei mit dir.Go in peace, god be with you.
Example conversation
Sarah is saying goodbye to Julian before he leaves for a trip.
- SarahPass auf dich auf, Julian.Take care of yourself, Julian.
- JulianDanke, Sarah. Ich werde vorsichtig sein.Thanks, Sarah. I will be careful.
- SarahGott sei mit dir auf deiner Reise.God be with you on your journey.
- JulianDanke, bis bald!Thanks, see you soon!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gott, dir, mit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
