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How to Say ‘I have an idea.’ in German

Ich habe eine Idee.

ikh HAH-beh EYE-nuh ee-DAY

[ikh HAH-beh EYE-nuh ee-DAY]

Phrase Breakdown

Ich habe

ikh HAH-beh

I have

'Ich' has a soft 'ch' sound, like a whispered 'h' in 'huge'. In speech, 'habe' is often shortened to 'hab'.

Example

Ich habe Zeit.

I have time.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

habe

[HAH-beh]

have

Form of 'haben' used with 'ich'.

Example

Ich habe einen Plan.

I have a plan.

eine Idee.

EYE-nuh ee-DAY

an idea.

'Idee' is feminine, so it takes 'eine'. It is stressed on the last syllable: 'ee-DAY'.

Example

Das ist eine gute Idee.

That's a good idea.

Words in this phrase

eine

[EYE-nuh]

The feminine accusative article before 'Frage.'

Example

Ich möchte Ihnen eine Frage zur Arbeitskultur stellen.

I would like to ask you a question about work culture.

Idee

[ee-DAY]

idea

A thought or suggestion; feminine noun (die Idee).

Example

Die Idee ist super.

The idea is great.

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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