ich werde dir wehtun
The phrase "i will hurt you" in German is ich werde dir wehtun.
This phrase is used to threaten someone with physical pain.
Which one should you use?
While ich werde dir wehtun focuses on the sensation of pain, the alternative ich werde dich verletzen implies causing a physical injury or wound.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the future tense construction, the conjugated auxiliary verb werde stays in the second position, while the infinitive wehtun moves to the very end of the clause. The pronoun dir is in the dative case because the verb wehtun requires a dative object.
Did you know?
- In German, pain is not something you feel, but something that 'does' to you, as seen in the verb wehtun, which literally means 'to do pain'.
- The word weh in wehtun is the same root used in the English word 'woe', which describes great sorrow or distress.
- While wehtun is used for physical pain, Germans use the same verb to describe a 'heartache' or emotional pain by saying es tut mir im Herzen weh.
Examples in context
- Ich warne dich: Ich werde dir wehtun!I am warning you: I will hurt you!
Example conversation
A tense confrontation between two people in a park.
- LauraLass mich sofort in Ruhe!Leave me alone right now!
- JulianKomm doch her, wenn du dich traust.Come here then, if you dare.
- LauraIch meine es ernst, ich werde dir wehtun!I am serious, I will hurt you!
- JulianDas wirst du nicht schaffen, Laura.You won't manage that, Laura.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dir, ich, wehtun, CC BY-SA 4.0.
