es hat Spaß gemacht
The English phrase "it was fun" is translated into German as es hat Spaß gemacht.
This phrase is used to describe an activity or experience that was enjoyable. You can also say das hat Spaß gemacht by replacing the pronoun es (it) with das (that) to say "that was fun".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it has fun made".
Which one should you use?
While es hat Spaß gemacht expresses that an activity was enjoyable, the phrase es war lustig specifically means that an experience was funny or humorous.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "it is fun" in the present tense instead of "it was fun", use es macht Spaß.
Did you know?
- The word Spaß is actually an uninvited guest from the Mediterranean. It was borrowed from the Italian word spasso, which comes from the Latin verb meaning 'to stretch out' or 'to pass the time'.
- The word Spaß is often used in the common phrase Nur Spaß!, which is the equivalent of saying 'Just kidding!' In this context, it refers to a joke rather than an enjoyable activity.
Examples in context
- Es hat Spaß gemacht, im Park zu spielen.It was fun playing in the park.This sentence shows how to use es hat Spaß gemacht to describe an activity like playing in the park.Tatoeba #12407621 by mayabe, translation #240412 by CK
Example conversation
Maximilian and Hannah are finishing a board game.
- MaximilianDas Spiel war wirklich toll.The game was really great.
- HannahJa, es hat Spaß gemacht!Yes, it was fun!
- MaximilianWollen wir noch eine Runde spielen?Do we want to play another round?
- HannahNein, ich muss jetzt leider gehen.No, unfortunately I have to go now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Spaß, es, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
