German · A1 · Family moment
Feelings We Share in German
Use these warm, honest phrases to show your child that feelings are safe to share. Most use ich bin (“I am”) followed by an adjective. German uses other natural expressions for apologizing and looking forward to something.
What you'll learn
- Name your feelings using ich bin plus an adjective.
- Speak warmly to your child using informal du forms.
- Express an apology and show that you are ready to listen.
German phrases for feelings we share
Ich bin stolz auf dich.
I am proud of you.
Stolz auf means “proud of.” Dich is the form of “you” used after auf here.
Ich bin froh, dass du zu Hause bist.
I am happy you're home.
Froh means “happy” or “glad.” After dass (“that”), the verb bist goes at the end.
Ich bin neugierig auf dein Projekt.
I am curious about your project.
Learn neugierig auf as a chunk meaning “curious about.”
Ich bin traurig über unseren Streit.
I am sad about our argument.
Traurig über means “sad about.” Streit means an argument or quarrel.
Es tut mir leid, dass ich geschrien habe.
I am sorry I shouted.
Es tut mir leid is the natural way to say “I am sorry.” Geschrien habe means “shouted” in this clause.
Ich bin heute Abend müde.
I am tired this evening.
Heute Abend means “this evening.” Abend is a noun, so it has a capital letter.
Ich freue mich auf unsere Reise.
I am excited about our trip.
Literally, “I am looking forward to our trip.” This naturally expresses happy anticipation.
Ich bin bereit, zuzuhören.
I am ready to listen.
Bereit means “ready.” Zuzuhören means “to listen.”
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
stolz
proud
Use stolz auf for being proud of someone or something.
froh
happy; glad
Useful for saying you are pleased about a situation.
neugierig
curious
Use neugierig auf to show interest in something.
traurig
sad
Ich bin traurig means “I am sad.”
müde
tired
Keep the two dots in ü when writing this word.
bereit
ready
Can be followed by an action with zu (“to”).
der Streit
argument; quarrel
Refers to a disagreement, not a reason supporting an opinion.
die Reise
trip; journey
Unsere Reise means “our trip.”
zuhören
to listen
Means listening attentively to someone.
The basic pattern: ich bin + adjective
Ich means “I,” and bin means “am.” An adjective describes how you feel. After bin, the adjective does not take an extra ending.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic feeling | Ich bin + adjective. | Ich bin müde. — I am tired. |
| Feeling with a time | Ich bin + time + adjective. | Ich bin heute Abend müde. — I am tired this evening. |
| Feeling about someone | Ich bin stolz auf + person. | Ich bin stolz auf dich. — I am proud of you. |
Learn adjectives with their prepositions
German prepositions do not always match English ones. Learn these combinations together. In these expressions, auf and über take the accusative case: du becomes dich, and unser Streit becomes unseren Streit.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Proud of | stolz auf | Ich bin stolz auf dich. |
| Curious about | neugierig auf | Ich bin neugierig auf dein Projekt. |
| Sad about | traurig über | Ich bin traurig über unseren Streit. |
Adding what you feel or want to do
Dass means “that” and introduces a clause with its conjugated verb at the end. To name an action after bereit, use zu plus an infinitive. With zuhören, the added zu goes inside the verb: zuzuhören.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Say what makes you glad | Ich bin froh, dass … | Ich bin froh, dass du zu Hause bist. |
| Say you are ready for an action | Ich bin bereit, zu + infinitive. | Ich bin bereit, zuzuhören. |
Natural expressions without ich bin
Not every English “I am” phrase uses ich bin in German. Learn these two expressions as whole chunks.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Apologizing | Es tut mir leid. | Es tut mir leid, dass ich geschrien habe. — I am sorry I shouted. |
| Looking forward to something | Ich freue mich auf … | Ich freue mich auf unsere Reise. — I am looking forward to our trip. |
More examples
Ich bin traurig. Ich bin bereit, zuzuhören.
I am sad. I am ready to listen.
You can name your feeling and still make space for your child's feelings.
Es tut mir leid, dass ich geschrien habe. Ich bin bereit, zuzuhören.
I am sorry I shouted. I am ready to listen.
A direct apology takes responsibility without blaming your child.