wie süß
/viː zyːs/word by word
The English phrase "how cute" is translated into German as wie süß.
wie süß is used to express that something is endearing. This includes describing people, such as babies, as well as inanimate objects or certain actions.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, wie süß means "how sweet".
Which one should you use?
While süß literally means "sweet", it is the standard way to express that something is "cute" in German. Other variations include Wie süß ist das denn! to say "How cute is that!" and the slang expression Krass süß! to mean "Crazily cute!"
How do you pronounce it?
/viː zyːs/
Did you know?
- The word süß can be used sarcastically to mean 'precious' in a condescending way, similar to how an English speaker might say 'Oh, how cute' to a naive idea.
- Germans may use süß to describe a child, but calling an adult süß can sometimes be perceived as belittling or overly infantilizing depending on the context.
- Unlike the English word 'cute', which comes from 'acute', süß is rooted in the sensation of taste.
Examples in context
- Tom konnte nicht glauben, wie süß Maria war.Tom couldn't believe how cute Mary was.This sentence shows how to use wie süß to describe a person in a past tense context.Tatoeba #3109309 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1868407 by CK
- Wie süß!How cute!This sentence shows the phrase used as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #356164 by MUIRIEL, translation #36097 by CM
- Wie süß die kleine Katze ist!How cute the little cat is!
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are looking at a photo of a puppy.
- JuliaSchau mal, Julian, wie süß der Welpe ist!Look, Julian, how cute the puppy is!
- JulianJa, er ist wirklich sehr süß.Yes, he is really very cute.
- JuliaIch möchte ihn sofort mit nach Hause nehmen.I want to take him home with me right now.
- JulianDas wird bestimmt eine große Freude sein.That will surely be a great joy.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wie, süß) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
