👀🙅

How to Say ‘I'm just looking.’ in German

Ich schaue mich nur um.

ikh SHOW-uh mikh noor oom

[ikh SHOW-uh mikh noor oom]

💬 Usage Tip: The verb is umschauen "to look around", and its um moves to the end. That's also why mich "myself" is there: it's part of how this verb works.

Phrase Breakdown

Ich schaue mich

ikh SHOW-uh mikh

I'm looking (myself)

From 'sich umschauen' (to look around). 'schaue' sounds like 'SHOW-eh'.

Example

Ich schaue mich im Laden um.

I'm looking around the shop.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

schaue

[SHOW-uh]

look (part of 'umschauen': look around)

Form of 'schauen'; with 'mich ... um' it forms the separable verb 'sich umschauen', to browse.

Example

Ich schaue mich im Laden um.

I'm looking around the shop.

mich

[mikh]

myself

A reflexive pronoun used with certain verbs like 'sich bedanken.'

Example

Ich wollte mich für Ihre Zeit bedanken.

I wanted to thank you for your time.

nur um.

noor oom

just around

'nur' means 'only' or 'just'. 'um' is the separable prefix and goes at the end.

Example

Wir sehen uns nur um.

We're just looking around.

Words in this phrase

nur

[noor]

only

No more than; exclusively.

Example

Nur du kannst das tun.

Only you can do that.

[oom]

around (verb prefix)

Separable prefix of 'umschauen', placed at the end of the sentence.

Example

Schau dich ruhig um!

Feel free to look around!

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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