Meaning
To state one's thoughts or beliefs on a topic.
Cultural Background
In German business culture, 'eine Meinung äußern' is expected. Silence is often interpreted as agreement or lack of interest. The Swiss value consensus. Expressing an opinion is often done more cautiously to avoid direct conflict. Austrians might use more 'Konjunktiv' (would/could) when expressing an opinion to sound more polite and less aggressive. The phrase is ubiquitous in German social media, often appearing as a button or a header for comment sections.
Use 'möchte'
Always pair this with 'möchte' or 'würde gerne' to sound like a native professional.
Don't use 'machen'
Never say 'Meinung machen' unless you mean 'manipulating public opinion' (which is a different concept).
Meaning
To state one's thoughts or beliefs on a topic.
Use 'möchte'
Always pair this with 'möchte' or 'würde gerne' to sound like a native professional.
Don't use 'machen'
Never say 'Meinung machen' unless you mean 'manipulating public opinion' (which is a different concept).
Directness is Key
In Germany, expressing a dissenting opinion is seen as helpful, not rude, as long as it is objective.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of 'äußern'.
Ich möchte gerne meine Meinung ______.
After 'möchte' (modal verb), we use the infinitive at the end of the sentence.
Which sentence is correct?
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
In the Perfekt tense, we use 'haben' + the Partizip II 'geäußert'.
Complete the dialogue.
Chef: 'Was denken Sie?' Mitarbeiter: 'Darf ich dazu meine ______ ______?'
This is the standard polite way to offer an opinion in a meeting.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Where would you most likely hear 'Äußern Sie Ihre Meinung in den Kommentaren'?
This is a common call-to-action for online content creators.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIch möchte gerne meine Meinung ______.
After 'möchte' (modal verb), we use the infinitive at the end of the sentence.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
In the Perfekt tense, we use 'haben' + the Partizip II 'geäußert'.
Chef: 'Was denken Sie?' Mitarbeiter: 'Darf ich dazu meine ______ ______?'
This is the standard polite way to offer an opinion in a meeting.
Where would you most likely hear 'Äußern Sie Ihre Meinung in den Kommentaren'?
This is a common call-to-action for online content creators.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, it sounds a bit stiff. Use 'Ich finde...' or 'Ich denke...' instead.
'Sagen' is general (to say). 'Äußern' is specific to expressing thoughts, feelings, or opinions.
Yes, you can say 'seine Gefühle äußern' (to express one's feelings).
You 'äußern eine Meinung' (direct object) or you 'äußern sich ZU einem Thema' (reflexive + preposition).
It is 'die Meinungsäußerungsfreiheit' or simply 'die Redefreiheit'.
Yes, in Germany and Austria. In Switzerland, they use 'ss' (äussern).
Absolutely. It is perfect for formal or business emails.
'Verschweigen' (to keep secret) or 'für sich behalten' (to keep to oneself).
Yes, the Accusative case for the opinion being expressed.
Very. You will hear 'Der Kanzler äußerte sich...' almost every day.
Related Phrases
seinen Senf dazugeben
synonymTo give one's unasked opinion.
Stellung nehmen
similarTo take a stand.
meinen
builds onTo think/mean.
behaupten
contrastTo claim.
kundtun
specialized formTo make known.
