Um Himmels willen!
Um Himmels willen! is the German way to say oh my God.
Um Himmels willen! is used to express excitement or shock. While it can be used for pure amazement, it often carries a tone of exasperation or pleading, similar to the English phrase 'For heaven's sake!'
Meaning: excitement or shock (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Um Himmels willen! literally translates to 'For heaven's sake!' or 'For the sake of heaven!'
Which one should you use?
If you want to express shock or disbelief, you can also use the shorter Mein Gott! For a more direct translation of 'Oh My God' in informal conversations, you might use Oh mein Gott! If you want to convey amazement or shock using slang, you can use Krass!
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Oh mein Gott! is used in informal conversations, while Krass! is an informal slang expression.
Did you know?
- The word willen in this phrase is actually an old grammatical relic. It is the oblique form of the noun Wille, a shape that survived only because it follows the preposition um.
- In many parts of Germany, people use Ach du meine Güte! as a softer, more idiomatic alternative to 'Oh my God' to express surprise without mentioning God directly.
- If you want to sound very dramatic or theatrical, you might use Herr je! which is a very old-fashioned way to express shock, similar to 'Lord have mercy!'
Examples in context
- Um Himmels willen! Das ist ja Tom!Oh My God! It's Tom!This sentence shows how to use Um Himmels willen! to express shock when seeing someone.Tatoeba #6098885 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4109411 by Hybrid
- Ach du meine Güte! Das ist wirklich erstaunlich!Oh my god! That is truly amazing!
- Mein Gott! Wie ist das möglich?Oh my god! How is that possible?
- Oh mein Gott! Das Essen hier ist fantastisch!Oh my god! The food here is fantastic!
- Krass! Hast du das gesehen?Oh my god! Did you see that?
- Um Himmels willen! Was ist da passiert?Oh my god! What happened there?
- Um Himmels willen! Das ist ja teuer!Oh my god! That is so expensive!
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are looking at a broken vase.
- FelixUm Himmels willen! Die Vase ist kaputt!Oh my god! The vase is broken!
- JuliaEs tut mir so leid, Felix.I am so sorry, Felix.
- FelixDas war ein Geschenk von meiner Oma.That was a gift from my grandma.
- JuliaIch werde sie sofort ersetzen.I will replace it immediately.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries um, willen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
