Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| so Gott will |
| wenn Gott will |
| wenn Gott es will |
These phrases are used to express hope or intention for a future event while acknowledging divine will.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase so Gott will literally translates to 'as God wills'.
Which one should you use?
While so Gott will and wenn Gott es will are often interchangeable, so Gott will is more idiomatic and slightly more formal/traditional in its structure. The form wenn Gott es will specifically uses the conjunction 'wenn' (if) and the pronoun 'es' (it) to mean 'if God wills it'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form so Gott will is considered formal and can sound somewhat traditional or religious, making it more common in formal or solemn contexts than casual everyday speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, you may hear the informal expression Wenn's der liebe Gott will, which means 'If the dear God wants'.
Did you know?
- The word so in the phrase so Gott will does not mean 'so' or 'thus' as it does in modern German, but acts as an archaic way to say 'if'.
- While so Gott will is traditional, modern Germans often use the phrase hoffentlich to express the same sentiment without the religious connotation.
- Using so Gott will in a casual setting today can make a speaker sound like they are mimicking a 19th-century novel or a biblical text.
Examples in context
- Morgen früh bin ich bei dir, so Gott will.Tomorrow morning, I'll be with you, God willing.This sentence shows how to express an intention to be with someone tomorrow morning using so Gott will.Tatoeba #2094992 by Sirio60, translation #2395455 by kuma
- So Gott will, werden wir morgen bei deinen Eltern sein.Tomorrow, God willing, we'll be with your parents.This sentence demonstrates using so Gott will to express a plan to visit someone's parents tomorrow.Tatoeba #3760451 by Jens_Odo, translation #1949171 by erikspen
- „Wann kommen wir denn an?“ – „So Gott will, morgen früh.“"When are we arriving?" "Tomorrow morning, God willing."This sentence uses so Gott will as a response to a question about an arrival time.Tatoeba #2726087 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #11459345 by sundown
- Ich hoffe, wir sehen uns morgen. So Gott will.I hope we'll see each other tomorrow. God willing.
- So Gott will, werden wir im nächsten Jahr heiraten.God willing, we will marry next year.
- Ich fahre nach Bayern, wenn's der liebe Gott will.I'm going to Bavaria if the dear God wants.
- Man munkelt, dass wir bald Nachwuchs bekommen. Wenn Gott es will.One whispers that we're expecting a baby soon. If God wills.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are talking about their plans for a vacation next year.
- SarahWir fliegen nächstes Jahr nach Japan, so Gott will.We will fly to Japan next year, God willing.
- LukasDas wäre wirklich ein tolles Erlebnis für uns.That would really be a great experience for us.
- SarahIch hoffe, dass alles mit dem Geld klappt.I hope that everything works out with the money.
- LukasJa, es wird klappen, so Gott will.Yes, it will work out, God willing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God willing” translations and entries so Gott will, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gott, es, so, so Gott will, wenn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
