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How to Say ‘I wanted to do something new.’ in German

Ich wollte etwas Neues machen.

ikh VOL-tuh ET-vahs NOY-es MAH-khen

[ikh VOL-tuh ET-vahs NOY-es MAH-khen]

💬 Usage Tip: With wollte "wanted", the second action word goes to the very end in its basic form: Ich wollte in Berlin wohnen "I wanted to live in Berlin".

Phrase Breakdown

Ich wollte

ikh VOL-tuh

I wanted

Past tense of 'wollen' (to want). 'w' sounds like 'v': 'VOL-tuh'.

Example

Ich wollte dich anrufen.

I wanted to call you.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

wollte

[VOL-tuh]

wanted

Past tense of 'wollen,' often used politely to soften a statement or intention.

Example

Ich wollte mich kurz bei Ihnen melden.

I wanted to get in touch with you briefly.

etwas Neues machen.

ET-vahs NOY-es MAH-khen

to do something new

After 'etwas', an adjective becomes a capitalized noun ('Neues'). 'Neues' sounds like 'NOY-es'. The infinitive 'machen' goes at the end.

Example

Wir wollen etwas Neues lernen.

We want to learn something new.

Words in this phrase

etwas

[ET-vahs]

something, anything

Indefinite pronoun for an unspecified thing.

Example

Brauchen Sie etwas?

Do you need anything?

Neues

[NOY-es]

new

Adjective 'neu' with neuter ending -es.

Example

Das ist ein neues Auto.

That is a new car.

machen

[MAH-khen]

to make / to take

General verb 'to make'; with 'Foto' it means to take.

Example

Wir machen eine Pause.

We are taking a break.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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