mein Schatz
/maɪ̯n ʃat͡s/word by word
The German phrase for my sweetheart is mein Schatz.
mein Schatz is a term of endearment used to refer to a person who is loved. It is very common in German to drop the possessive pronoun mein and simply address a partner as Schatz to mean sweetheart or darling.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Schatz literally means treasure.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Schatz is a masculine noun, the possessive pronoun must use the masculine ending mein in the nominative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɪ̯n ʃats/
Did you know?
- The word Schatz shares an ancient root with the English word 'cattle'. In early Germanic languages, livestock were considered the primary form of portable wealth and treasure.
- While Schatz is a romantic term for partners, it is also frequently used by parents to address their children.
- The term is so common that it can occasionally be used ironically in German to refer to someone who is being particularly precious or difficult.
Examples in context
- Guten Morgen, mein Schatz. Ich hoffe, du hast gut geschlafen.Good morning, my sweetheart. I hope you slept well.
- Ich vermisse dich, meine Liebe.I miss you, my love.
- Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, mein Liebling.Happy birthday, my darling.
- Ich liebe dich, meine Süße.I love you, my sweet one.
- Gute Nacht, mein Liebster. Träum süß!Good night, my dearest. Sweet dreams!
- Du bist mein Schatz.You are my sweetheart.
- Komm her, mein Schatz.Come here, my sweetheart.
- Ich liebe dich, mein Schatz.I love you, my sweetheart.
Example conversation
A couple is relaxing on the sofa at home.
- SarahGuten Abend, mein Schatz.Good evening, my sweetheart.
- FelixHallo Sarah, wie war dein Tag?Hello Sarah, how was your day?
- SarahSehr gut, Felix.Very good, Felix.
- FelixDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mein, Schatz) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Schatz, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
