ich gehe
The German phrase for 'I am leaving' is ich gehe.
ich gehe is a statement used to say that you are departing from a place.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ich gehe literally translates to 'I go'.
Which one should you use?
While ich gehe can mean 'I am leaving' in certain contexts, adding the particle 'weg' to say ich gehe weg more explicitly expresses the act of departing or moving away from a location.
How does it change in a sentence?
German does not have a continuous aspect (like 'am leaving'), so the simple present tense ich gehe is used to express both 'I leave' and 'I am leaving'.
Did you know?
- When leaving a workplace, it is common to say Schönen Feierabend, wishing others a nice 'celebration evening' rather than just saying you are leaving.
- In many German regions, people say tschüss while leaving, which is a shortened version of the phrase Adieu, Gott schütze euch meaning 'God protect you'.
- Using ich gehe can also mean 'I am dating someone' or 'I am seeing someone' in certain colloquial contexts, depending on the preposition used.
Examples in context
- Ich gehe um vier.I am leaving at four.This sentence is useful for specifying the time you are leaving using ich gehe.Tatoeba #1534652 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #72584 by CK
- Ich gehe um zehn weg.I am leaving at ten o'clock.This sentence shows how to use ich gehe when specifying a departure time.Tatoeba #1372820 by Vortarulo, translation #436383 by lukaszpp
- Ich gehe, aber der Staat wird immer bleiben.I am leaving, but the State will always remain.This sentence provides an example of using ich gehe in a more complex sentence structure.Tatoeba #11526768 by carlosalberto, translation #11526647 by carlosalberto
- Ich muss los, bis später!I have to go, see you later!
- Es tut mir leid, aber ich muss jetzt gehen.I'm sorry, but I have to leave now.
Example conversation
At a coffee shop, Felix is ready to depart.
- FelixHannah, ich gehe jetzt.Hannah, I am leaving now.
- HannahSchade, Felix, aber mach es gut!Too bad, Felix, but take care!
- FelixDanke, wir sehen uns bald.Thanks, we will see each other soon.
- HannahJa, bis bald!Yes, see you soon!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
