How to Say ‘I wanted’ in German
Ich wollte
ikh VOL-tuh
[ikh VOL-tuh]
💬 Usage Tip: [wollte] is the past form of [wollen], but in [Ich wollte nur sagen] it often softens what you're about to say rather than talking about the past. The same polite distancing works in [Ich wollte nur fragen].
Phrase Breakdown
Ich
[ikh]
I
Subject pronoun for referring to yourself.
Ich wollte dir nur ein Kompliment machen.
I just wanted to give you a compliment.
wollte
[VOL-tuh]
wanted
Past tense of "wollen," used to say what you intended to say.
Ich wollte sagen, dass dein Stil toll ist.
I wanted to say that your style is great.
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