What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of 'oh my God', where 'oh' is 'oh', 'mein' is 'my' and 'Gott' is 'God'.
Which one should you use?
While 'oh mein Gott' is the full phrase, German speakers (especially younger generations) frequently use the English acronym 'OMG' in text messaging and social media. Other expressions can convey similar feelings: Oh Mann! is equivalent to "Oh man!" in English and conveys surprise, shock or frustration. Krass! is an informal term that can be used to mean "amazing," "incredible," or "crazy." And Boah!/Boah ey! are popular slang terms used to convey surprise, astonishment or shock.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Alter Schwede! is a regional expression commonly used in northern Germany that translates to "Old Swede!" and expresses astonishment or disbelief.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this exclamation, Gott remains in the nominative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/oː maɪ̯n ɡɔt/
Did you know?
- While oh mein Gott expresses shock, Germans often use the word Wahnsinn to express the same feeling. Literally meaning 'insanity', it is used positively to mean 'incredible' or 'amazing'.
- When Germans want to express a 'holy cow' type of surprise without mentioning God, they sometimes use the phrase Ach du meine Güte, which replaces 'God' with Güte meaning 'goodness'.
- While oh mein Gott is common, saying it in a highly religious context can sometimes be viewed as 'taking the Lord's name in vain', a nuance often avoided by using secular alternatives like oh Mann!
Examples in context
- Oh mein Gott!OMG!This is useful for seeing how to express shock or surprise using oh mein Gott.Tatoeba #361128 by Kerstin, translation #12299404 by Adelpa
- Oh mein Gott! Das ist wirklich unglaublich.OMG! That is truly unbelievable.
- Krass, hast du das gesehen?OMG, did you see that?
- Oh mein Gott, das ist ja unglaublich!Oh my God, that is unbelievable!
- Oh mein Gott, hast du das gesehen?Oh my God, did you see that?
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are looking at a very cute puppy in a window.
- JulianOh mein Gott, wie süß ist denn das?Oh my God, how cute is that?
- JuliaJa, er ist wirklich niedlich, Julian.Yes, he is really cute, Julian.
- JulianIch möchte ihn unbedingt mit nach Hause nehmen.I really want to take him home.
- JuliaDas können wir ja mal versuchen.We can certainly try that.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (oh, mein, Gott) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
