German · A1 · Family moment
Big feelings in German
Use simple German to name feelings, offer comfort, and reassure your child.
What you'll learn
- Ask about sadness and offer comfort.
- Describe feelings with ich bin (I am).
- Use du bist (you are) to reassure your child.
- Give a gentle instruction for breathing.
German phrases for big feelings
Bist du traurig?
Are you sad?
Use du when speaking to your child.
Ich bin hier.
I am here.
A simple way to let your child know you are nearby.
Es ist okay zu weinen.
It is okay to cry.
Zu weinen means 'to cry.'
Brauchst du eine Umarmung?
Do you need a hug?
Eine Umarmung means 'a hug.' Ask gently and let your child choose.
Ich bin stolz auf dich.
I am proud of you.
Learn stolz auf dich as a chunk meaning 'proud of you.'
Atme tief ein.
Take a deep breath.
Literally 'Breathe in deeply.' A gentle instruction to one child.
Du bist sicher.
You are safe.
Sicher means 'safe' here; it can also mean 'sure' in other contexts.
Ich bin glücklich.
I am happy.
Glücklich describes feeling happy.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
traurig
sad
Use with bin or bist to describe a feeling.
hier
here
Tells someone where you are.
weinen
to cry
The basic form of the verb.
brauchen
to need
With du, use brauchst.
die Umarmung
hug
A feminine noun; 'a hug' is eine Umarmung.
stolz
proud
Use stolz auf to say whom you are proud of.
einatmen
to breathe in
In Atme tief ein, ein moves to the end.
tief
deep; deeply
Describes how to breathe in Atme tief ein.
sicher
safe; sure
The situation tells you which meaning is intended.
glücklich
happy
The ü is a different sound from u.
Describing feelings with sein (to be)
Use ich bin for 'I am' and du bist for 'you are.' Put the adjective after the verb. Adjectives used this way do not change their endings.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I am | Ich bin + adjective. | Ich bin glücklich. — I am happy. |
| You are | Du bist + adjective. | Du bist traurig. — You are sad. |
| Proud of someone | Ich bin stolz auf dich. | Ich bin stolz auf dich. — I am proud of you. |
Asking yes/no questions
Put the verb before du to ask a yes/no question. German does not add a separate word for English 'do.'
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Question with bist | Bist du + adjective? | Bist du traurig? — Are you sad? |
| Question with brauchst | Brauchst du + noun phrase? | Brauchst du eine Umarmung? — Do you need a hug? |
More examples
Ich bin traurig.
I am sad.
Use ich bin to name your own feeling.
Bist du glücklich?
Are you happy?
Bist comes first in the question.
Ich bin hier bei dir.
I am here with you.
Bei dir means 'with you' here.
Möchtest du eine Umarmung?
Would you like a hug?
A gentle way to offer a hug.