mögen
/ˈmøːɡən/
To like in German is mögen.
The verb mögen is used to express that you find something or someone pleasant or appealing.
Which one should you use?
While mögen is the standard verb for liking things or people, the colloquial phrase gern haben is often used specifically to express affection for people or pets.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present tense of mögen is mag (for example, er mag). The simple past form, known as the Präteritum, is mochte.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmøːɡən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use mögen with an infinitive to say they like doing an activity. Instead of saying something like Ich mag essen, you should use gern (for example, Ich esse gern).
Did you know?
- The verb mögen actually used to mean 'to be able to' rather than 'to like'. The meaning of 'to like' only appeared after people began using the phrase 'nicht mögen' to express that they were 'not able to' do something.
- The strange spelling of mögen with an umlaut is actually a historical leftover from its relationship with the verb können. The vowel change was originally a grammatical marker of ability.
Examples in context
- Du wirst es mögen.You're going to like it.This sentence shows how to use mögen to express liking an object.Tatoeba #3532300 by freddy1, translation #3345304 by CK
- Tom wird es mögen.Tom is going to like it.Tatoeba #6625140 by Felixjp, translation #4666561 by CK
- Du wirst sie mögen.You're going to like her.This sentence shows how to use mögen to express liking a person.Tatoeba #4118090 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3912849 by CH
- Ich mag diesen Film.I like this movie.
- Wir mögen Ihre Idee.We like your idea.
- Das Buch gefällt mir sehr gut.I really like the book.
- Es gefällt uns in dieser Stadt.We like it in this city.
- Sie bevorzugt klassische Musik.She prefers classical music.
- Wir lieben es, im Park spazieren zu gehen.We love going for walks in the park.
- Ich hab' dich gern.I like you.
- Er hat seinen Hund sehr gern.He really likes his dog.
- Ich magI like
- Du magstYou like
- Ich mag dich sehrI like you very much
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mögen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mögen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
