mich
/mɪç/
mich is the German word for "me" as the object of a sentence.
mich is used when the speaker is the direct object of a verb.
Which one should you use?
In German, there is a distinction between direct and indirect objects. Use mich for direct objects (the accusative case), whereas mir is used for indirect objects (the dative case).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Germany, parts of Switzerland and Austria, the phrase Ich freue mich is sometimes modified in informal speech to forms like I g'frei mi or I freu mi.
How does it change in a sentence?
mich is the accusative case form of the first-person singular pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɪç/
Did you know?
- While mich means 'me', it is used in reflexive phrases like Ich wasche mich to mean 'I wash myself'. In English, 'myself' is a separate word, but German uses the accusative object pronoun.
- The word mich is a direct linguistic descendant of the Proto-Indo-European *me, making it a 'cousin' to the English word 'me' and the Latin 'me'.
- In the phrase Das ist für mich, mich is used after the preposition 'für' regardless of whether it is a direct or indirect object. Certain German prepositions always force the use of the accusative case.
Examples in context
- Ich freue mich, Sie kennenzulernen.I'm pleased to meet you.
- Es würde mich sehr freuen, wenn Sie kommen könnten.It would make me very happy if you could come.
- Ich bedanke mich für Ihre Hilfe.I thank you for your help.
- Kannst du mich bitte abholen?Can you please pick me up?
- Ich habe mich gestern erkältet.I caught a cold yesterday.
- Kannst du mich hören?Can you hear me?
- Besuch mich doch mal!Come visit me sometime!
- Er hat mich gestern angerufen.He called me yesterday.
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are talking on the phone.
- SarahMaximilian, hörst du mich?Maximilian, do you hear me?
- MaximilianJa, ich höre dich gut, Sarah.Yes, I hear you well, Sarah.
- SarahGut, denn ich brauche dich.Good, because I need you.
- MaximilianWas ist denn los mit dir?What is wrong with you?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
