German · A1 · Family moment
Happy Little Moments in German
Warm, everyday phrases for telling your child how much you enjoy your little moments together. German usually expresses “I like to…” with a verb plus gern.
What you'll learn
- Tell your child which activities you enjoy together.
- Use ich + verb + gern to express “I like to…”.
- Recognize dir and dich as forms of “you” when speaking to one child.
- Use simple phrases with separable verbs such as vorlesen.
German phrases for happy little moments
Ich kuschle gern mit dir.
I like to cuddle you.
German naturally says “cuddle with you”: mit dir kuscheln.
Ich singe dir gern etwas vor.
I like to sing to you.
Literally, “I like to sing something to you.” Vorsingen means to sing for someone to listen.
Ich spiele gern mit dir.
I like to play with you.
Mit dir means “with you.”
Ich lese dir gern vor.
I like to read to you.
Vorlesen means to read aloud to someone. Vor goes at the end here.
Ich halte gern deine Hand.
I like to hold your hand.
Deine Hand means “your hand.”
Ich gehe gern mit dir spazieren.
I like to walk with you.
Spazieren gehen means to go for a walk.
Ich rede gern mit dir.
I like to talk to you.
Mit jemandem reden means to talk with someone.
Ich sehe dich gern lächeln.
I like to see you smile.
After sehe dich, use lächeln without zu: “see you smile.”
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
gern / gerne
gladly; with enjoyment
Both forms mean the same thing. With an activity, they express “like to.”
kuscheln
to cuddle; to snuggle
Use mit to name the person you cuddle with.
mit dir
with you
Use this when speaking to one child or someone you address informally.
vorsingen
to sing to someone
A separable verb: Ich singe dir etwas vor.
vorlesen
to read aloud
A separable verb: Ich lese dir vor.
die Hand
the hand
Hand is feminine, so “your hand” is deine Hand.
spazieren gehen
to go for a walk
Useful for a relaxed walk together.
lächeln
to smile
Keep the infinitive form after “I see you”: Ich sehe dich lächeln.
Expressing “I like to…”
Use ich, a conjugated activity verb, and gern. German does not need a separate verb meaning “like” in this pattern. Gern and gerne are interchangeable.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pattern | Ich + verb + gern. | Ich spiele gern. — I like to play. |
| Together with you | Ich + verb + gern + mit dir. | Ich kuschle gern mit dir. — I like to cuddle you. |
Different forms of “you”
These phrases use informal singular “you,” appropriate for your child. The form changes according to its role in the sentence.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After mit | mit dir | Ich spiele gern mit dir. — I like to play with you. |
| The person receiving the reading | dir | Ich lese dir gern vor. — I like to read to you. |
| The person you see | dich | Ich sehe dich gern lächeln. — I like to see you smile. |
Separable verbs
With vorlesen and vorsingen, conjugate the main part of the verb and put vor at the end of a simple statement.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Read aloud | vorlesen → ich lese … vor | Ich lese dir gern vor. — I like to read to you. |
| Sing to someone | vorsingen → ich singe … vor | Ich singe dir gern etwas vor. — I like to sing something to you. |
More examples
Ich spiele gerne mit dir.
I like to play with you.
Gerne works exactly like gern.
Ich lese dir gern ein Buch vor.
I like to read you a book.
Ein Buch means “a book.” Vor still goes at the end.
Ich singe dir gern ein Lied vor.
I like to sing you a song.
Ein Lied means “a song.”