Ich will
In German, "I want" is expressed as Ich will.
Ich will is used to express a desire or a strong intention to have or do something. However, using Ich will when speaking to people or in service situations, such as at a restaurant, can sound demanding, blunt or even rude to native speakers.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb will is the first-person singular present form of the modal verb wollen, which means "to want".
Which one should you use?
While Ich will expresses a strong and direct desire, Ich möchte (I would like) is the much more polite and common way to express a want in social situations like ordering food or asking for something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb will is the first-person singular present form of the modal verb wollen. Note that in the third-person singular (he/she/it wants), the verb will does not take an -t ending, unlike most other German verbs.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using Ich will in restaurants or when interacting with service staff, as it can sound rude. Use Ich hätte gerne or Ich möchte instead.
Did you know?
- Using Ich will can sometimes make a person sound like a small child, as it is the primary way children express their needs before they learn the social nuances of polite language.
- In many German dialects, the word will can be used to express a future intention rather than a current desire, similar to how English uses 'going to'.
- The word will is related to the English word 'will' in the sense of 'willpower' or a 'last will and testament', focusing on intent rather than certainty.
Examples in context
- Ich will ein Eis.I want an ice cream.This example shows how to use Ich will to express wanting an object.Tatoeba #8082566 by Luiaard, translation #3825530 by CK
- Ich will nur Geld.All I want is money.This example shows how to use Ich will to express a desire for money.Tatoeba #1628093 by Zaghawa, translation #247118 by CK
- Ich will es sehen.I want to see it.This example shows how to use Ich will followed by an infinitive verb phrase.Tatoeba #1888454 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1883058 by Spamster
- Entschuldigen Sie, ich möchte ein Hotelzimmer reservieren.Excuse me, I would like to reserve a hotel room.
- Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? Ich hätte gerne Informationen über die Tour.Could you please help me? I would like information about the tour.
- Ich will nächstes Wochenende in die Stadt gehen.I want to go to the city next weekend.
- Hey, möchtest du ein Eis essen? Ich möchte ein Schokoladeneis.Hey, do you want to eat an ice cream? I would like a chocolate ice cream.
- 1732 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura are deciding what to do on a Saturday afternoon.
- LukasIch will heute ins Kino gehen.I want to go to the cinema today.
- LauraDas klingt gut, aber ich habe keine Zeit.That sounds good, but I don't have time.
- LukasIch will doch unbedingt diesen Film sehen.But I really want to see this movie.
- LauraOkay, wir können morgen zusammen gehen.Okay, we can go together tomorrow.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
