Ich möchte heiraten
/ɪç ˈmœç.tʰə ˈhaɪ̯ˌraːtən/word by word
The English phrase "I want to marry" is translated into German as Ich möchte heiraten.
The phrase is used to express a general desire to enter into a marriage. The verb heiraten specifically refers to the act of performing the marriage ceremony or the legal act of marrying a person.
Which one should you use?
Ich möchte heiraten expresses a general desire to be married. If you want to specify a person as the object of your desire, you must add a direct object after the verb, such as in Ich möchte jemanden heiraten (I want to marry someone).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Bavarian dialects, such as in Munich, I mog heiraten. is used instead of Ich möchte to express "I want."
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, the verb heiraten is intransitive, meaning you do not need to specify a person to express the general desire to get married.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɪç ˈmœç.tʰə ˈhaɪ̯ˌraːtən/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Germany, the legal marriage ceremony must take place at a Standesamt (registry office) to be valid. A church wedding or a party has no legal standing without this official government step.
- If a German speaker says Ich will heiraten instead of Ich möchte heiraten, it sounds much more demanding and insistent. Will expresses a strong will or demand, whereas möchte is a polite desire.
- The word ich is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'ego'. Both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root used to denote the self.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigen Sie, aber ich wollte Ihnen mitteilen, dass ich gerne heiraten möchte.Excuse me, but I wanted to let you know that I would like to get married.
- Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, ich möchte Ihnen mitteilen, dass ich den Wunsch habe zu heiraten.Dear ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you that I have the desire to marry.
- Hey, ich wollte dir sagen, dass ich gerne heiraten möchte.Hey, I wanted to tell you that I want to get married.
- Du glaubst es nicht, aber ich will echt heiraten!You won't believe it, but I really want to get married!
- Ich möchte heiraten, wenn ich älter bin.I want to marry when I am older.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their future plans over coffee.
- JuliaWas sind deine Pläne für die Zukunft?What are your plans for the future?
- JulianIch möchte heiraten und ein Haus kaufen.I want to marry and buy a house.
- JuliaDas klingt nach einem schönen Plan, Julian.That sounds like a lovely plan, Julian.
- JulianJa, das ist mein großer Traum.Yes, that is my big dream.
