wenn auch
/vɛn aʊ̯x/word by word
The English phrase 'I wish' can be translated into German as wenn auch or wenn doch nur.
Meaning: I would very much like that to be so (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| wenn auch | /vɛn aʊ̯x/ (word by word) |
| wenn doch nur | /vɛn dɔ nuːɐ̯/ (word by word) |
While wenn auch can mean 'even if', the idiomatic way to express the specific sentiment of 'I wish' or 'if only' is to use wenn doch nur.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase wenn doch nur literally translates to something like 'if indeed only', where doch acts as a modal particle to add emphasis to the longing.
Which one should you use?
wenn auch can mean 'even if', whereas wenn doch nur is the idiomatic way to express the specific sentiment of 'I wish' or 'if only' regarding a desired situation.
How do you pronounce it?
/vɛn aʊ̯x/
Did you know?
- The word nur in this context has a hidden history of being 'not'. It stems from the Old High German phrase ni wāri, which literally meant 'were it not'.
- In German, the word doch is a modal particle, a category of words that change the tone of a sentence without changing its literal meaning.
- To express a wish in German, speakers often use a grammatical mood called the subjunctive, which changes the verb form to show the situation is imaginary.
Examples in context
- Ich wünschte mir, dass ich Deutsch fließend sprechen könnte.I wish I could speak German fluently.
- Es wäre schön, wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte.It would be nice if I had more time.
- Hätte ich doch mehr Zeit!If only I had more time!
- Wärst du doch hier bei mir.If only you were here with me.
- Wenn auch nur ein bisschen.If only a little bit.
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are looking at a very expensive car.
- JuliaDas Auto ist wirklich wunderschön.That car is really beautiful.
- FelixJa, aber es ist viel zu teuer.Yes, but it is far too expensive.
- JuliaWenn auch wir uns das leisten könnten!I wish we could afford that!
- FelixDas können wir leider nicht.Unfortunately, we cannot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I wish” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wenn, auch, doch, nur) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries auch, doch, nur, wenn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
