ich mag
The English phrase 'I like' is expressed in German as ich mag.
ich mag is used to express a general fondness or preference for someone or something.
Which one should you use?
While ich mag expresses a general fondness for a person or thing, it is not used to express liking an action. For that, German uses the adverb gern with a different verb. Ich habe Interesse an is used to express interest in something rather than simply liking it. Es gefällt mir sehr means 'I like it a lot.'
How does it change in a sentence?
ich mag is the first-person singular present tense of the verb mögen. The third-person singular form er/sie/es mag is identical to the first-person singular form ich mag.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ich mag followed by an infinitive verb (like ich mag spielen), whereas a native speaker would say ich spiele gern.
Did you know?
- If you want to tell someone you are attracted to them or 'like' them romantically, you might say ich stehe auf dich. This literally translates to 'I stand on you'.
- The word mögen is a cognate of the English word 'may', as both originally described power or ability rather than preference.
- In some German dialects, mag can describe whether a person can stomach or endure something, similar to the English phrase 'I can stomach that'.
Examples in context
- Ich mag das so.I like it that way.This is useful for expressing how you like a specific situation or way of doing things.Tatoeba #2384068 by Esperantostern, translation #2377452 by CK
- Ich mag es heiß.I like it hot.This is useful for expressing a preference for a certain temperature or condition.Tatoeba #6644167 by Felixjp, translation #5840435 by CK
- Ich mag es auch.I like it, too.This is useful for expressing that you also like something.Tatoeba #6644168 by Felixjp, translation #5851915 by CK
- Ich mag EisI like ice cream
- Ich find's toll, dass du gekommen bistI think it's great that you came
- Mir gefällt dieser FilmI like this movie
- Ich habe Interesse an KunstI have an interest in art
- Es gefällt mir sehr, dass Sie mich eingeladen habenI like it a lot that you invited me
- 788 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about their favorite food.
- LukasIch mag Pizza.I like pizza.
- HannahEcht? Ich mag keine Pizza.Really? I don't like pizza.
- LukasMagst du lieber Pasta?Do you prefer pasta instead?
- HannahJa, ich mag Pasta sehr.Yes, I like pasta a lot.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
