wünschen

See also: Wünschen

German

Etymology

From Middle High German wünschen, wunschen, from Old High German wunsken (“to choose, wish, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną (“to wish”), derived from *wunskaz, *wunskō (“wish, desire”), from Proto-Indo-European *wun-, *wenh₁- (“to wish, love”). Cognate with Dutch wensen (“to wish”), English wish, Danish ønske (“to wish”), and further Sanskrit वांछ् (vāṃch, “to want”). Related to German Wonne (“lust, desire”). See also winsome, wone.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈvʏnʃən/, [ˈvʏnʃn̩]

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

1. (transitive, with reflexive dative) to wish for; to make a wish for; to want; to desire

   Ich wünsche mir ein Meerschweinchen.

   I want a guinea pig.

2. (transitive, with non-reflexive dative) to wish someone something

   Ich wünsche dir alles Gute.

   I wish you all the best.

3. (transitive, without dative, formal) to demand; to order; in negation: not to tolerate

   Ich wünsche eine Erklärung!

   I demand an explanation!

   Ich wünsche ein solches Verhalten nicht.

   I won’t tolerate such behaviour.

Related terms

• Wunsch

References

• Etymologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache, Friedrich Kluge

Further reading

• “wünschen” in Duden online