brennende Augen
The usual German for sore eyes is brennende Augen, literally burning eyes, which describes eyes that sting and feel sore.
Germans describe sore, stinging eyes as brennende Augen. Another common way to describe the same feeling is gereizte Augen, irritated eyes. To tell a doctor that your eyes hurt, you can say Ich habe Schmerzen in meinen Augen, I have pain in my eyes.
Which one should you use?
brennende Augen stresses a burning or stinging feeling, while gereizte Augen points to irritation, for example from dust or smoke.
How does it change in a sentence?
Augen is the plural of the word for eye, so the adjective takes the plural ending, as in brennende and gereizte.
Did you know?
- While an English speaker might say their eyes are 'sore', using the German word sauer (which can mean 'sore' in some English dialects) would actually mean your eyes are 'sour' or 'acidic'.
- In German, the verb brennen is used for the sensation of spicy food, such as chili peppers, as well as the sensation of sore eyes.
- The German word jucken, used for the itching sensation of sore eyes, is the exact same verb used to describe the itch of a mosquito bite.
Examples in context
- Ich habe brennende Augen vom Bildschirm.I have burning eyes from the screen.
- Nach dem Schwimmen habe ich brennende Augen.After swimming, I have burning eyes.
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are working in an office.
- HannahJulian, ich habe seit Stunden brennende Augen.Julian, my eyes have been sore for hours.
- JulianDas liegt wahrscheinlich an der trockenen Luft.That is probably because of the dry air.
- HannahIch glaube, ich brauche eine kurze Pause.I think I need a short break.
- JulianGeh kurz an die frische Luft, Hannah.Go get some fresh air for a moment, Hannah.
