sich etwas wünschen
to wish for
To have a wish or desire for something that one would like to receive or achieve.
EXAMPLE
Zu meinem Geburtstag wünsche ich mir ein neues Buch.
For my birthday, I wish for a new book.
wünschen
to wish
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Meanings
jemandem etwas wünschen
to wish someone
To express hope for something good or positive toward another person.
EXAMPLE
Ich wünsche Ihnen ein schönes Wochenende!
I wish you a nice weekend!
wünschen
to would like
A polite and formal way to ask about a person's desire or wish, often in the service sector.
EXAMPLE
Was wünschen Sie zu trinken?
What would you like to drink?
Usage tips
Hypothetical wishes
To express a wish that does not correspond to reality, 'wünschen' (to wish) is often used in the subjunctive II ('ich wünschte' (I wish)). The subordinate clause that describes the wish is then also in the subjunctive II.
EXAMPLE
Ich wünschte, ich könnte besser Klavier spielen.
I wish I could play the piano better.
Sich etwas wünschen
When you wish for something for yourself, the verb is reflexive. The structure is: subject + sich (dative) + desired thing (accusative).
EXAMPLE
Sie wünscht sich ein Fahrrad zum Geburtstag.
She wishes for a bicycle for her birthday.
Jemandem etwas wünschen
When you wish another person something good, you need a dative object (the person) and an accusative object (the good thing).
EXAMPLE
Wir wünschen unseren Nachbarn einen schönen Urlaub.
We wish our neighbors a nice vacation.
Polite question
In the service sector, the question 'Was wünschen Sie?' (What would you like?) is used to ask about a customer's wishes in a particularly polite and formal way.
EXAMPLE
Guten Tag, was wünschen Sie? – Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee.
Good day, what would you like? – I'd like a coffee.
Compare with
wünschen vs hoffen
to hope
Hoffen and wünschen both express that you would like something to happen. When you hoffen, you consider the positive outcome possible. Sich etwas wünschen, on the other hand, refers to the desire itself and can also refer to something whose fulfillment is very unlikely.
wünschen
Ohne genug Geld wünsche ich mir trotzdem ein Haus am Meer.
Even without enough money, I still wish for a house by the sea.
hoffen
Nach der Kreditzusage hoffe ich, bald ein Haus am Meer kaufen zu können.
After getting the loan approval, I hope I’ll soon be able to buy a house by the sea.
In real life
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