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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "wish" in German?
wünschen
In German, "wish" is wünschen.
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Pronunciation
Pronounced 'VUEN-shen', stress on the first syllable, with W as an English V and 'ü' rounded like French 'u'.
Grammar notes
wünschen is a verb (infinitive form). Use it after modal verbs, or conjugate it to match the subject.
Example sentence
Ich wünsche dir alles Gute zum Geburtstag.
I wish you a happy birthday.
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How to remember wünschen
Wünschen is a cognate of English 'wish', just with the W sounding like a V, as German W always does.
Related words
- run laufen
- walk gehen
- jump springen
- climb klettern
- crawl kriechen
- swim schwimmen
- fall fallen
- eat essen
- chew kauen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about wünschen
How do you say "wish" in German?
In German, "wish" is wünschen. It is a verb.
How is wünschen used in a sentence?
Use wünschen as you would use the equivalent verb in English. For example: Ich wünsche dir alles Gute zum Geburtstag. (I wish you a happy birthday.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"Wish" in other languages
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