ich trage
/ɪç ˈtʁaːɡə/word by word
The English phrase "I am wearing" is translated into German as ich trage.
This phrase is used to describe the clothes or accessories a person has on their body. Note that the verb tragen can mean both "to wear" (clothing) and "to carry" (an object) depending on the context of your sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
German does not have a continuous aspect, so ich trage is used for both "I wear" and "I am wearing".
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈtʁaːɡə/
Did you know?
- The word tragen also describes the way a fruit 'bears' seeds or a tree 'bears' fruit, linking the concept of wearing to biological production.
- If a person is 'wearing' a certain expression on their face, such as a smile, German uses tragen to describe the emotional display.
- The word tragen can be used to describe a building 'bearing' the weight of a roof or a pillar 'carrying' a ceiling.
Examples in context
- Ich trage meinen Silberschmuck.I am wearing my silver jewelry.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of ich trage.Tatoeba #1729397 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1728114 by Amastan
- Ich trage heute einen Anzug.I am wearing a suit today.
- Ich trage eine elegante Bluse.I am wearing an elegant blouse.
- Ich trage heute ein cooles T-Shirt.I am wearing a cool t-shirt today.
- Ich trage heute ein blaues Kleid.I am wearing a blue dress today.
- Ich trage eine warme Jacke.I am wearing a warm jacket.
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are deciding what to wear to a party.
- JuliaIch trage mein neues rotes Kleid.I am wearing my new red dress.
- FelixDas klingt toll, Julia!That sounds great, Julia!
- JuliaUnd was trägst du, Felix?And what are you wearing, Felix?
- FelixIch trage ein weißes Hemd.I am wearing a white shirt.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Trage) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
