Me in German (Mich Or Mir - Choose Right Every Time)

November 1, 2022

There are two ways to say "me" in German - mich and mir.

Use mich as a direct object and after accusative prepositions. Use mir as an indirect object and after dative prepositions. We'll use some examples to show exactly what this means!

The words sound like this:

1. When should I use mich?

The word "mich" is one of two ways to say "me" in German. Mich functions as a direct object pronoun. Use mich in two key instances.

A direct object answers the question - What or whom is being "verbed?" For example - "Whom do you love?" You love ME, in this case mich. In German - Du liebst mich.

In these sentences, notice how mich plays the role of direct object, answering the question - Whom is being "verbed" - loved/seen/made happy?:

Prepositions are connector words that relay information about the nouns and verbs in a sentence. There are three types of prepositions in German. After accusative prepositions, use "mich" for "me."

Examples of accusative prepositions include the words "für/for" and "ohne/without."

In these sentences, notice how we use mich following an accusative preposition:

2. When should I use mir?

The word "mir" is the second way to say "me" in German. Mir is called an indirect object pronoun. Use mir in two key instances.

An indirect object answers the question "To/for whom?" and reflects the recipient of an action. For example - "Bring the camera to whom?" Bring ME the camera, in this case mir. In German - Bring mir die Kamera.

In these sentences, notice how mir plays the role of indirect object, reflecting the recipient of the actions - bring/give/help:

Dative prepositions are another group of German prepositions. After dative prepositions, use "mir" for "me."

Examples of dative prepositions include the words "mit/with" and "von/from."

In these sentences, notice how we use mir following a dative preposition:

3. What if I choose the wrong pronoun?

Choosing between mich and mir is a finer detail that you can refine over time, as you learn more and more German. This more advanced point will not impact communication, so keep pushing to share your thoughts!

4. How do I pronounce mich?

• Letter M: The M in German is always pronounced just like in English, like in the English word "man."
• Short I: The I in mich is a short German I, which is like the I in the English word “in.”
• Soft CH: In the word mich, we pronounce the CH as the soft ich sound. This is the softer of the two CH pronunciations. This sound does not exist in English. It's like the sound of a hissing cat or like whispering a giggle.

Listen to these important words that leverage similar sounds:

You can find pronunciation tips for the soft CH sound here:

1. Mastering CH Pronunciation in German

5. How do I pronounce mir?

• Letter M: The M in German is always pronounced just like in English, like in the English word "man."
• Long I: The I in mir is a long German I, which actually sounds like the E in the English word "eat."
• Letter R: In the word mir, we barely pronounce the R. We use this barely-there pronunciation because the R is at the end of the word.

You can hear this same ending in the indirect object pronoun for "you (informal)," which is dir:

You can find pronunciation tips for the barely-there R sound (and the gargling R sound!) here:

1. Pronounce The German R Right

6. Is the word mich used in any other way?

In addition to serving as the direct object pronoun "me," the word mich also serves as the reflexive pronoun "myself." The reflexive construct is used in German when an action is done to or for oneself.

Though the word mich is used both for the direct object pronoun and for the reflexive pronoun, the function is distinct in each case.

In these examples, the word mich functions as a reflexive pronoun, indicating an action that is done to oneself:

7. What about the object pronoun for "you" in German?

Just as we choose between mich and mir for "me," we choose between two object pronouns for the word "you (informal)" - dich and dir.

To determine whether to use dich or dir, follow the same rules we've discussed. Use dich for a direct object and after an accusative preposition. Use dir for an indirect object and after a dative preposition. See this in action in the following examples:

8. What about the other object pronouns?

Take a look at the additional pairs of direct and indirect object pronouns:

9. How can I practice choosing the right object pronoun?

You can learn to conquer this finer detail with practice.

1. Listen actively: Listen for mich and mir, as well as the other object pronoun pairs, used in conversation around you. Try to determine why a given word was used in each case. Keep a running list of the examples you've encountered. This is a great way to learn.
2. Practice the pronouns in context: The best way to solidify new concepts is to use them in real-life situations. Challenge yourself to incorporate new concepts into your conversations, even when you are still working through the finer details. Kleo's interactive video lessons provide a convenient way to practice speaking German, getting instant feedback in a risk-free environment that feels real. The lessons provide many chances to practice using the various pronouns we've introduced here and make it all stick!