German · Greetings & Essentials
"I miss you" in German: ich vermisse dich / du fehlst mir
ich vermisse dich / du fehlst mir
I miss you in German is ich vermisse dich, or the flipped line du fehlst mir. Both feel warm; fehlst mir can sound a bit softer in everyday chat.
Late-night call
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How to pronounce ich vermisse dich / du fehlst mir
Say it
ikh fer-MISS-uh dikh
/ɪç fɛɐ̯ˈmɪsə dɪç/
ikh fer-MISS-uh dikh. Or doo FAILST meer. Soft ich; stress on MISS; fehlst has a clear ai like "file".
"I miss you" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ich vermisse dich | I miss you Direct default. | Direct default. |
| du fehlst mir | I miss you Literally you are missing to me. | Literally you are missing to me. |
| ich vermisse euch | I miss you (plural) To a group. | To a group. |
| du hast mir gefehlt | I missed you Past after a trip. | Past after a trip. |
How to use ich vermisse dich / du fehlst mir in real life
- 1Late-night call
Ehrlich, ich vermisse dich heute sehr.
Honestly, I miss you a lot today.
Full phrase ich vermisse dich.
- 2After moving cities
Seit dem Umzug fehlst du mir jeden Tag.
Since the move I miss you every day.
Du fehlst mir word order.
- 3Short text
Nur kurz: ich vermisse dich.
Just quickly: I miss you.
Minimal warm line.
Mistakes English speakers make with ich vermisse dich / du fehlst mir
Incorrect: Ich fehle dich.
Correct: Du fehlst mir. / Ich vermisse dich.
Fehlen flips the subject: the missed person is the subject.
Incorrect: Ich vermisse Sie. (to a close friend)
Correct: Ich vermisse dich.
With friends use dich, not formal Sie.
Good to know
Both lines are common in texts and calls. Du fehlst mir often feels a touch gentler. With family, people also say Ich hab dich vermisst after a visit.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Long-distance evening chat
ChatPal
Sag mal, vermisst du mich manchmal?
Tell me, do you miss me sometimes?
You
Klar. Ich vermisse dich besonders abends.
Of course. I miss you especially in the evenings.
ChatPal
Gut zu hören. Du fehlst mir auch.
Good to hear. I miss you too.
You
Dann rufen wir morgen wieder an.
Then we'll call again tomorrow.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"I miss you" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "I miss you" in German
How do you say I miss you in German?
Ich vermisse dich or du fehlst mir.
What is the difference?
Same idea; du fehlst mir flips the subject and can sound softer.
How do you say I missed you?
Ich habe dich vermisst or du hast mir gefehlt.
Formal version?
Ich vermisse Sie — rare outside careful formal contexts.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
