Ich muss wissen
/ɪç mʊs ˈvɪsn̩/word by word
The English phrase "I need to know" is translated into German as Ich muss wissen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Ich muss wissen is composed of Ich (I), muss (must/have to) and wissen (to know).
How does it change in a sentence?
In German, the verb wissen is used for knowing facts or information, whereas kennen is used for being familiar with people or places. Additionally, using the past tense Ich wollte wissen is a common way to make the request "I need to know" sound more polite and less demanding.
Did you know?
- In German, the concept of 'knowing' a skill, such as knowing how to swim, uses a different structure entirely. You would not use wissen but rather the phrase können, which means 'to be able to'.
- The root of wissen is related to the Proto-Indo-European word for 'to see', suggesting that in many ancient languages, 'knowing' and 'seeing' were the same concept.
- In certain regional dialects, the pronunciation of Ich can change significantly, sometimes sounding more like Ick, particularly in Berlin.
Examples in context
- Ich muss wissen, wo du bist.I need to know where you are.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to know a person's location using Ich muss wissen.Tatoeba #6213217 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2361655 by CK
- Ich muss wissen, wo Tom wohnt.I need to know where Tom lives.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to know where someone lives using Ich muss wissen.Tatoeba #8749254 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8305345 by CK
- Ich muss wissen, wie er heißt.I need to know his name.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to know someone's name using Ich muss wissen.Tatoeba #12168538 by mhr, translation #2387655 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie die Unterbrechung, aber ich muss es wissen.Excuse the interruption, but I need to know.
- Hey, ich muss wissen, wann die Party beginnt.Hey, I need to know when the party begins.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Hannah are discussing their travel plans.
- MaximilianIch muss wissen, wann wir abfahren.I need to know when we are leaving.
- HannahWir fahren um acht Uhr los.We are leaving at eight o'clock.
- MaximilianIst das sicher?Is that certain?
- HannahJa, ich habe die Tickets schon.Yes, I already have the tickets.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Ich, Muss, wissen) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ich, ich, wissen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
