German · Everyday Verbs
"to hug" in German: umarmen
umarmen
To hug in German is umarmen. Say Darf ich dich umarmen? or Sie umarmen sich zum Abschied. Die Umarmung is the noun and does not replace the verb here.
Airport reunion
Komm her — ich umarme dich fest.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce umarmen
Say it
oom-AR-men
/ʊmˈʔaʁmən/
oom-AR-men. Stress AR; soft -en.
"to hug" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| umarmen | to hug Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich umarme / du umarmst | I hug / you hug Present. | Present. |
| sich umarmen | to hug each other Mutual. | Mutual. |
| umarmt | hugged / hugs Past or 3rd person. | Past or 3rd person. |
How to use umarmen in real life
- 1Airport reunion
Komm her — ich umarme dich fest.
Come here — I'll hug you tight.
Umarme present.
- 2Consent check
Darf ich dich kurz umarmen?
May I hug you quickly?
Umarmen infinitive after modal.
- 3Goodbye party
Zum Schluss haben alle sich umarmt.
At the end everyone hugged.
Umarmt participle.
Mistakes English speakers make with umarmen
Incorrect: Ich mache eine Umarmung (as the only verb use).
Correct: Ich umarme dich.
Prefer the verb umarmen for this headword.
Incorrect: Ich umarme zu dir.
Correct: Ich umarme dich.
Umarmen takes a direct object: dich, not zu dir.
Good to know
Hugs among friends are common but not automatic with new acquaintances. Ask Darf ich dich umarmen? if unsure. At farewells people often umarmen briefly at the station.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting after months apart
ChatPal
Endlich! Darf ich dich umarmen?
Finally! May I hug you?
You
Natürlich — ich umarme dich auch.
Of course — I'll hug you too.
ChatPal
Gut. Lange nicht umarmt, ehrlich.
Good. Haven't hugged in a long time, honestly.
You
Dann umarmen wir uns noch einmal.
Then let's hug each other once more.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to hug" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to hug" in German
How do you conjugate umarmen?
Ich umarme, du umarmst, er/sie umarmt…
Does die Umarmung count?
No — use a verb form like umarme or umarmt.
May I hug you?
Darf ich dich umarmen?
They hugged?
Sie haben sich umarmt.
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
