Ich mag Käse
The English phrase "I like cheese" is translated into German as Ich mag Käse.
Ich mag Käse is a statement used to express a general preference or fondness for cheese. For an idiomatic way to say cheese is your thing, you can use Käse ist mein Ding.
Which one should you use?
Use Ich mag Käse to express a general fondness for cheese, whereas Ich möchte Käse (I would like cheese) is used when ordering or requesting it.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Ich mag Käse, the verb mag is the first-person singular conjugation of mögen, which means "to like".
Did you know?
- In German, the word Käse can be used to describe something that is completely wrong or nonsense. Someone might say Das ist totaler Käse to describe a bad idea or a lie.
- The word Käse actually shares a distant ancestor with the Latin word 'caseus', which is also the root of the English word 'casein' used in milk proteins.
- The word ich can be used as a noun, written as das Ich, to refer to the psychological concept of 'the ego'.
Examples in context
- Ich mag Käsepizza.I like cheese pizza.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use Ich mag Käse when referring to cheese pizza.Tatoeba #2217540 by Vortarulo, translation #754987 by CM
- Ich steh' total auf Käse. Da bin ich dabei!I'm really into cheese. Count me in!
- Ich mag Käse.I like cheese.
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to order for dinner.
- HannahSoll ich eine Käseplatte bestellen?Should I order a cheese platter?
- JulianJa, bitte, denn ich mag Käse.Yes, please, because I like cheese.
- HannahToll, das schmeckt sicher gut.Great, that will surely taste good.
- JulianIch freue mich darauf!I am looking forward to it!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ich, Käse, ich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
