ich habe
/ɪç ˈhaːbə/word by word
ich habe is the German way to say 'I have'.
This phrase is used to indicate that the speaker possesses or owns something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word habe is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb haben (to have). While you use ich habe for yourself, the third-person singular forms for he, she or it are er/sie/es hat. To express the perfect tense, meaning 'I have had', you use ich habe followed by the past participle gehabt.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈhaːbə/
Did you know?
- In German, the phrase ich habe is used to express hunger and thirst, such as ich habe Hunger for 'I am hungry'.
- The word ich shares a common ancestor with the English word 'I', even though they look and sound quite different today.
- In many German dialects, such as those in Bavaria, you might hear people say i hab instead of the standard ich habe.
Examples in context
- Ich habe ein Ei.I have an egg.This sentence shows the use of ich habe to state possession of an egg.Tatoeba #1405485 by Manfredo, translation #262179 by CK
- Ich habe eine Kuh.I have a cow.This sentence shows the use of ich habe to state possession of a cow.Tatoeba #3805363 by pne, translation #2777841 by CM
- Ich habe das Geld.I have the money.This sentence shows the use of ich habe to state possession of the money.Tatoeba #6644363 by Felixjp, translation #2360394 by CK
- Ich habe einen Hund.I have a dog.
- Ich besitze ein Auto.I possess a car.
- 3194 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are looking for a pen in the classroom.
- JuliaHast du einen Stift, Lukas?Do you have a pen, Lukas?
- LukasNein, aber ich habe einen Bleistift.No, but I have a pencil.
- JuliaKann ich ihn kurz benutzen?Can I use it for a moment?
- LukasJa, natürlich, hier ist er.Yes, of course, here it is.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Habe) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
