Ich habe Angst
/ɪç ˈhaːbə aŋst/word by word
To say "I am afraid" in German, you say Ich habe Angst.
This phrase is used to express that you feel fear or anxiety.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Ich habe Angst literally translates to "I have fear".
Which one should you use?
While Ich habe Angst is the most common way to express feeling fear, Ich fürchte mich serves as a more formal or literary alternative.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, people often use the phrase I hob Angst in everyday conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing what you are afraid of, you must use the preposition vor followed by the dative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈhaːbə aŋst/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Ich bin Angst. While English speakers often follow English word order, in German you "have" fear rather than "being" fear.
Did you know?
- The word Angst is closely related to the adjective eng, meaning 'narrow'. Historically, the feeling of fear was described as a sensation of tightness or constriction in the chest.
- The word Angst is a cognate of the English word 'anguish', as both share a root describing a feeling of constriction or tightness.
- In some German dialects, fear is expressed not as something you have, but as something that 'grips' you, using the verb packen.
Examples in context
- Ich habe Angst vor dir!I am afraid of you!This sentence shows how to express being afraid of a specific person using Ich habe Angst.Tatoeba #13723599 by kumakyoo, translation #12076404 by Niki_Pechlivanidi
- Ich habe Angst vor Bären.I am afraid of bears.This sentence shows how to express being afraid of bears using Ich habe Angst.Tatoeba #803671 by Espi, translation #257026 by CK
- Ich habe Angst vor Hunden.I am afraid of dogs.This sentence shows how to express being afraid of dogs using Ich habe Angst.Tatoeba #1818284 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #374213 by CK
- Ich empfinde Furcht vor dem Unbekannten.I feel scared of the unknown.
- Ich habe Schiss, alleine in den Wald zu gehen.I am scared to go alone into the woods.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A dark forest at night.
- JulianEs ist so dunkel hier.It is so dark here.
- HannahIch habe Angst.I am afraid.
- JulianKeine Sorge, Hannah, ich bin bei dir.Don't worry, Hannah, I am with you.
- HannahDanke, Julian.Thank you, Julian.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Ich, Habe, Angst) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
