ich bin verzweifelt
The English phrase "I am desperate" is translated into German as ich bin verzweifelt.
The phrase is used when someone feels a complete loss of hope and is in a state of despair. While the term verzweifelt can occasionally refer to being driven to extreme actions, it most commonly describes a state of profound emotional hopelessness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows the standard German subject-verb-adjective pattern: ich (I) + bin (am) + verzweifelt (desperate). Note that in German, the first word of a sentence is capitalized, so ich becomes Ich when starting a sentence.
Did you know?
- The German word for 'doubt', Zweifel, is closely related to the number 'two', zwei, suggesting that doubting is the state of being torn between two possibilities.
- The word verzweifelt literally means to be in a state of having 'doubted away' one's hope, as it is built from zweifeln, meaning 'to doubt'.
- In German, the prefix ver- in verzweifelt often implies a process of completion or a negative transition, effectively turning 'doubting' into a state of total despair.
Examples in context
- Ich bin verzweifelt, weil ich meinen Job verloren habeI am desperate because I lost my job
- Ich bin verzweifelt, weil ich keinen Job finde.I am desperate because I cannot find a job.
- Ich bin verzweifelt angesichts dieser Situation.I am desperate in light of this situation.
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are talking in their living room about their finances.
- JulianJulia, ich bin verzweifelt wegen unserer Schulden.Julia, I am desperate because of our debts.
- JuliaBitte beruhige dich, Julian, wir finden eine Lösung.Please calm down, Julian, we will find a solution.
- JulianAber ich sehe keinen Ausweg mehr.But I don't see any way out anymore.
- JuliaWir werden gemeinsam einen Plan machen.We will make a plan together.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bin, ich, verzweifelt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
