heirate mich
The English phrase "marry me" is translated into German as heirate mich.
heirate mich is a direct marriage proposal, often used in its shortest form. The phrase Willst du mich heiraten? (Do you want to marry me?) is the most commonly used phrase to propose marriage in German. You can also express your intent by saying Ich will dich heiraten! (I want to marry you!).
Meaning: marriage proposal from a man to a woman (the shortest form) (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the imperative form of heiraten (to marry) and the accusative pronoun mich (me).
Which one should you use?
Willst du mich heiraten? is a slightly softer, more conversational way to propose than the imperative Heirate mich!
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Swiss German dialect, mi heirate means "to marry me".
Did you know?
- In older German literature, you might see the word trauen used instead of heiraten, which relates to 'trust' and 'faith' rather than the concept of an 'heir'.
- If you were to use the word verheiratet instead, you would be describing a state of being rather than the action of proposing, as German distinguishes strictly between the act of marrying and the status of being married.
- The pronoun mich shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root, *me, as the English word 'me', making this a direct linguistic relative that has survived thousands of years of phonetic shifts.
Examples in context
- Heirate mich.Marry me.This sentence shows the direct translation of the phrase using heirate mich.Tatoeba #4732111 by bonny37, translation #1954275 by CK
- Heirate mich!Marry me!This sentence shows the phrase used as an exclamation using heirate mich.Tatoeba #11595864 by Adelpa, translation #8667517 by ajje
- Philipp, willst du mich heiraten? Ich kann mir keinen Tag ohne dich vorstellen. Du bist meine bessere Hälfte und mein Seelenverwandter. Bringst du noch mehr Glück in mein Leben?Philipp, do you wanna marry me? I can't imagine a day without you. You are my better half and my soulmate. Will you bring even more happiness into my life?
- Heirate mich, bitte.Marry me, please.
Example conversation
Felix proposes to Hannah during a romantic dinner.
- HannahFelix, du bist mein Leben.Felix, you are my life.
- FelixHeirate mich, Hannah!Marry me, Hannah!
- HannahOh mein Gott, ja!Oh my God, yes!
- FelixIch bin so glücklich.I am so happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “marry me” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
