German · Emotions & Descriptions

"Worried" in German: besorgt

besorgt

Say it: beh-ZORGTadjective/bəˈzɔʁkt/

Worried in German is besorgt. Say Ich bin besorgt um dich. A very common alternative is Ich mache mir Sorgen.

Late reply

Ich bin besorgt, weil du nicht schreibst.
I'm worried because you're not writing.
Practice German out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce besorgt

Say it

beh-ZORGT

/bəˈzɔʁkt/

beh-ZORGT. Stress sorgt. Final t is crisp.

"Worried" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
besorgtworried

Adjective.

sich Sorgen machento worry

Everyday verb phrase.

beunruhigtuneasy, worried

Slightly softer/formal.

besorgt umworried about

Preposition um.

How to use besorgt in real life

  1. 1Late reply

    Ich bin besorgt, weil du nicht schreibst.

    I'm worried because you're not writing.

    Besorgt + weil.

  2. 2About health

    Sie wirkt besorgt wegen des Befunds.

    She seems worried about the results.

    Wirkt besorgt.

  3. 3Parents' call

    Mama klingt besorgt am Telefon.

    Mom sounds worried on the phone.

    Klingt besorgt.

Mistakes English speakers make with besorgt

Incorrect: Ich bin worry.

Correct: Ich bin besorgt. / Ich mache mir Sorgen.

Use besorgt or Sorgen machen.

Incorrect: Ich bin besorgt für dich (often)

Correct: Ich bin besorgt um dich.

Besorgt um is the usual preposition.

Good to know

Ich mache mir Sorgen is often more natural in speech than Ich bin besorgt, which can sound a touch formal or serious.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Friend missed a meetup

  1. ChatPal

    Ich war besorgt—wo warst du?

    I was worried—where were you?

  2. You

    Sorry! Der Zug hing. Du musst nicht besorgt sein.

    Sorry! The train was stuck. You don't have to be worried.

  3. ChatPal

    Nächstes Mal schreib kurz, dann bin ich weniger besorgt.

    Next time text briefly, then I'll be less worried.

  4. You

    Mach ich. Danke, dass du besorgt warst.

    Will do. Thanks for being worried.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Worried" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Worried" in German

How do you say I'm worried about you?

Ich bin besorgt um dich. / Ich mache mir Sorgen um dich.

Is sich Sorgen machen the same?

Same idea; often more conversational.

What preposition follows besorgt?

Usually um.

How do you say don't worry?

Mach dir keine Sorgen. / Sei nicht besorgt.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in German. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.