Gott sei Dank
In German, 'praise God' is expressed as Gott sei Dank.
Gott sei Dank is an expression used to show relief that something bad did not happen or that a situation ended well. While it can be used in a religious context, it is most commonly used as a secular exclamation of relief in everyday German.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'Thank God' (which uses an imperative or a shortened 'I thank God'), the German Gott sei Dank uses a subjunctive construction meaning 'May thanks be to God'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase Gelobt sei Jesus Christus might be used more frequently in Bavaria.
Did you know?
- The word 'Dank' is a direct relative of the Danish word 'tak', showing the interconnectedness of Germanic languages.
Examples in context
- Gott sei gepriesen für all seine WunderGod be praised for all His wonders
- Gott sei Dank ist das Wetter heute gut.Thank God the weather is good today.
- Gott sei Dank sind wir pünktlich angekommen.Thank God we arrived on time.
- Gott sei Dank hast du den Schlüssel gefunden.Thank God you found the key.
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are relieved after a narrow escape from rain during a walk.
- SarahEs hat gerade noch aufgehört zu regnen.It just stopped raining.
- JulianGott sei Dank, sonst wären wir völlig nass geworden.Thank God, otherwise we would have gotten completely soaked.
- SarahJulian, du hast recht, das war knapp.Julian, you're right, that was close.
- JulianJa, lass uns schnell nach Hause gehen.Yes, let's go home quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Gott sei Dank, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dank, Gott, dank, CC BY-SA 4.0.
