ich bin unterwegs
The English phrase "on my way" is translated into German as ich bin unterwegs.
The phrase is used to state that you have already started traveling toward a destination.
What does it mean word for word?
The term unterwegs is an adverb meaning "on the way" or "underway".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Swiss German, the informal phrase Ich bin am cho. is used to say "I'm coming." In Austrian German, you might hear I bin scho unterwegs. to mean "I am already on my way."
How does it change in a sentence?
Because unterwegs is an adverb, you do not use a possessive pronoun like "my" as you do in English. You simply say ich bin unterwegs. If you wish to say "we are on our way", you change the subject and verb to wir sind unterwegs. A synonymous alternative is the phrase ich bin auf dem Weg, which means "I am on the way".
Did you know?
- In some contexts, unterwegs is used to describe someone who travels frequently for a living or spends a lot of time away from home, rather than just being in transit at a specific moment.
- The German word unterwegs is a direct relative of the English word 'underway'. Both share a common Germanic root meaning to be 'under' or 'along' a 'way'.
Examples in context
- Ich bin unterwegs zum Flughafen.I'm on my way to the airport.This sentence shows how to use ich bin unterwegs with a specific destination like the airport.Tatoeba #8809247 by wolfgangth, translation #6575716 by Eccles17
- Ich bin unterwegs zum Hauptbahnhof.I'm on my way to the main station.This sentence shows how to use ich bin unterwegs with a specific destination like the main station.Tatoeba #13070087 by Vortarulo, translation #13072234 by rul
- Ich bin unterwegs.I'm on my way.This sentence shows a simple way to use ich bin unterwegs on its own.Tatoeba #1836302 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #707205 by CK
- Ich bin auf dem Weg zum Bahnhof.I am on my way to the train station.
- Bin gleich da, nur noch fünf Minuten.Be there soon, just five more minutes.
- Ja, ich bin unterwegs. Wie lange dauert es, bis ich ankomme?Yes, I am on my way. How long will it take me to get there?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix calls Laura to check when she will arrive at the cafe.
- LauraHallo Felix, ich bin unterwegs.Hello Felix, I am on my way.
- FelixAlles klar, bist du schon fast da?All right, are you almost there?
- LauraJa, ich bin gleich da.Yes, I will be there shortly.
- FelixGut, ich warte im Café auf dich.Good, I am waiting for you in the cafe.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bin, ich, unterwegs, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
