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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Ob

It's not common to see a word so small in the German language. But don't be fooled by these tiny two letters: this is one of the most useful pieces of vocab to know.

Published: 20 February 2024 16:29 CET
Ob word of the day
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know ‘Ob’?

If you’re wondering whether ‘ob’ is important or not, read further.

What does it mean?

The most direct meaning of ‘ob’ is simply ‘whether’ or ‘if’. As with other subordinating conjunctions like ‘dass’ (that’), ‘wenn’ (if) or ‘weil’ (because), the ‘ob’ shifts the verb order in a sentence clause. 

For example, if amid your language learning frustration you muse, “I don’t know whether it’s a waste of time to learn German grammar”, the sentence would be structured as “Ich weiß nicht, ob es eine Zeitverschwendung ist, die deutsche Grammatik zu lernen,” with the verb order “flipped” in the second and third clauses so that the verbs appear on the end. 

(We hope we haven’t answered that question for you!)

READ ALSO: If you know these 10 things, you’re a German grammar master

The word ob also fits nicely into a variety of everyday expressions. Most commonly, you’ll hear ‘als ob’ meaning ‘as though’ or ‘as if’. If you’re trying to make a strong statement, then “egal ob” (regardless of whether) will also come in handy, as will “gleichgültig, ob” (no matter whether…).

If you’re fully on board with what your friend is telling you, you could exclaim ‘Und ob!’, meaning ‘You said it!’ Brits might also translate it as ‘Not half!’ similar to the American ‘You bet!’

Lastly, if you take a medical exam at the doctor’s, and receive a notice back with ‘oB’ written on it, go ahead and let out a big sigh of relief. This stands for ‘ohne Befund,’ or results negative.

Walking past the Rathaus (townhall) on your way home you might also spot an OB on the door, short for Oberbürgermeister, meaning Lord Mayor or, since we’re no longer in the 17th century, just mayor. 

Here are some more examples:

Jack sagte zu Rose: “Ich werde dich lieben, egal, ob wir uns wiedersehen”.

Jack said to Rose, “I’ll love you regardless of whether we see each other again.”

Es war, als ob meine Heimatstadt eine neue Stadt wäre, nachdem ich im Ausland gelebt hatte.

It was as if my hometown was a new city after I lived abroad.

Member comments

  1. There is also “to pretend”: so tun als ob. For example:
    I pretend to like him.
    Ich tue so, als ob ich ihn mag.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Einbilden

If you occasionally like to create a whole new reality in your mind, this German word is an essential part of your vocabulary.

Published: 30 April 2024 11:53 CEST
German word of the day: Einbilden

Why do I need to know einbilden?

Einbilden a word that you’re likely to hear coming out of your German friends’ mouths on a regular basis, and which describes a fairly common scenario.

It’s also a great excuse to practice your separable and reflexive verbs, and contains a root verb that German learners just can’t do without. 

What does it mean?

Used in the reflexive form, sich einbilden (pronounced like this) has multiple shades of meaning that all relate to deluding yourself in some way. 

In its most neutral use, sich etwas einbilden means to imagine something or be convinced of something that isn’t true.

When someone could have sworn they had a conversation with you that never actually took place, they may say doubtfully: “Vielleicht habe ich mir das nur eingebildet”, meaning: “Maybe I just imagined it.”

If you already know the word imagined as sich vorstellen, then it’s worth thinking of sich einbilden as vorstellen’s badly behaved brother. While vorstellen involves having some imaginative and empathetic capacity, einbilden edges towards tricking or deluding yourself. 

READ ALSO:  German word of the day – Vorwurf

This is partly because sich einbilden also has numerous negative connotations, and can often be used to describe people who are particularly full of themselves, smug about something, or overly convinced of their own talents. 

In this case, you’d often use einbilden as a separable verb, meaning that the root (bilden) is used separately from the prefix (ein). “Er bildet sich ein…, (etwas) zu sein” is a common formation you’ll hear, that roughly translates as, “He fancies himself to be (something)”.

If someone likes to blow their own trumpet in general, the construction you’ll need is: “Sich viel auf sich einbilden”, which could roughly translate as: “To pride yourself on a lot” or “To think a lot of yourself”. 

Similarly, being smug about something simply involves swapping “auf sich” to “auf etwas” in that sentence, so you get something like: “Sie bildet viel auf ihre Leistung ein.” (“She’s very smug about her performance.”)

READ ALSO: German phrase of the day – Über den Tellerrand shauen

If you want to keep it snappy, then you can always use einbilden as an adjective instead. “Du bist so eingebildet” would translate as “you’re so full of yourself”, so keep this in your arsenal if you know someone like that.

A rooster in a field

A rooster strutting in a field in Turkey. If someone thinks they’re the “cock of the walk” they’re best described in German as “eingebildet”. Photo: Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash

Note that when you use sich einbilden, the pronoun (sich) is in the dative case, so you’ll need to reach for mir, dir, Ihnen, etc., instead of mich, dich, and Sie. 

How can I remember it?

If you need help remembering einbilden, a good place to start would be to break it down to its components and think about what it literally means.

Most German learners will have heard the verb bilden, which means to form, build or create something, before.

Adding the prefix ein turns this inwards, so that someone who is eingebildet has formed an idea internally – usually that they are the most handsome, talented and charismatic person in the world.

Use it like it like this: 

Hast du dein Auto hier gelassen, oder habe ich mir das nur eingebildet?

Did you leave your car here, or did I just imagine it?

Sie bildet sich ein, die beste Mathematikerin der Welt zu sein. 

She fancies herself as the best mathematician in the world. 

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