Idiomatic uses of "es" (impersonal expressions: "es gibt" = there is/there are; "es geht" = how someone is / it’s about / it works; "es tut weh" = it hurts)
B1Idiomatic uses of "es" (es gibt, es geht, es tut weh as impersonal expressions)
Overview: What is the impersonal "es" and why does it matter?
In German, "es" is often used as a dummy or impersonal subject — in other words, it doesn’t refer to a specific person or thing. Instead it fills the grammatical role of a subject while the real meaning comes from the verb and the other parts of the sentence. Three very common impersonal uses are:
- "es gibt" — to state existence (English: "there is/there are")
- "es geht" — used in several idiomatic ways (how someone is, what something is about, whether something works/is possible, etc.)
- "es tut weh" (or "das tut weh") — "it hurts" (both physical and emotional)
These impersonal "es" constructions are extremely frequent. Learning how they work (cases, word order, tenses, common alternatives) will help you understand and speak natural German.
When do I use impersonal "es"?
Quick guide:
- Use "es gibt + Accusative" when you want to say that something exists or is available: "Es gibt einen Supermarkt." — "There is a supermarket."
- Use "es geht" constructions when you talk about someone’s condition, when you say what something is about, or to express whether something works/ is acceptable: "Wie geht es dir?" — "How are you?"; "Es geht um Geld." — "It’s about money."; "So geht das nicht." — "That won’t do."
- Use "es tut weh" (or "Das tut weh") to say something causes pain or hurt: "Mein Fuß tut weh." or impersonal "Es tut weh." — "It hurts."
es gibt — "there is/there are" (existence, availability)
What it means
"Es gibt" expresses existence or availability. In English it usually translates as "there is" or "there are." The thing that exists appears in the accusative case.
How it is formed
Structure: Es gibt + Accusative NP + (optional location or other complements).
Examples:
- Es gibt einen Park in der Nähe. — There is a park nearby.
- Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten. — There are many possibilities.
- Gibt es hier WLAN? — Is there Wi‑Fi here?
- Es gibt heute keinen Unterricht. — There is no class today.
- Hier gibt es nichts zu essen. — There is nothing to eat here. ("nichts" = accusative)
Negation and past tenses
- Present negative: Es gibt keinen Kaffee. — There is no coffee.
- Simple past: Es gab gestern einen Unfall. — There was an accident yesterday.
- Perfect: Gestern hat es einen Unfall gegeben. — Yesterday there was an accident. (Both past forms are used; "es gab" is common in stories.)
Special patterns and notes
- "Es gibt zu + Infinitive" — means "there is something to do" or "there is (something) to + verb":
- Es gibt viel zu tun. — There is a lot to do.
- Es gibt nichts zu befürchten. — There is nothing to fear.
- Word order is flexible: "Hier gibt es viele Bücher." and "Es gibt hier viele Bücher." are both natural. Fronting the accusative gives emphasis: "Einen besseren Moment gibt es nicht." — There's no better moment.
Common mistakes with "es gibt"
- Forgetting accusative: Using nominative forms where accusative is required. Correct: "Es gibt einen Mann." (not "Es gibt ein Mann").
- Confusing with "es sind/da sind":
- Es gibt = asserts existence (neutral). Example: "Es gibt viele Lösungen." — There are many solutions.
- Da sind / Es sind = often points to location or present observation: "Da sind viele Menschen im Raum." — There are many people in the room (pointing or seeing them).
es geht — many idiomatic uses (condition, topic, possibility, functioning)
Main uses and meanings
1) Condition/health/status of a person (dative experiencer)
- Wie geht es dir? / Wie geht's? — How are you?
- Mir geht es gut. / Es geht mir gut. — I’m well.
- Ihm geht es schlecht. — He is doing poorly.
Note: The person is in dative (mir, dir, ihm), and "es" is the dummy subject.
2) What something is about ("es geht um")
- Es geht um dich. — It’s about you.
- In diesem Kapitel geht es um die Französische Revolution. — This chapter is about the French Revolution.
- Es geht nicht nur um Geld, sondern auch um Vertrauen. — It’s not just about money but also about trust.
3) Whether something is possible/works or how something should/can be done
- So geht das nicht. — That won’t work / That’s not how it’s done.
- Es geht nicht, dass du dort wartest. — It’s not acceptable that you wait there.
- Geht das? — Is that possible? / Will that work?
4) Focus/point ("es geht darum, ...")
- Es geht darum, die Kosten zu senken. — The point is to reduce costs.
- Es geht darum, wie wir das Problem lösen. — It’s about how we solve the problem.
Formation and word order
- "Wie geht es + Dative?" is the question form. Informal contraction: "Wie geht's?"
- You can put the dative pronoun first for emphasis: "Mir geht es gut." (emphasis on "mir").
- With "es geht um", the topic is in accusative: "Es geht um die Sache." — It’s about the matter.
Tenses and variations
- Present: Es geht mir gut.
- Simple past: Es ging mir schlecht.
- Perfect: Mir ist schlecht gegangen. (For personal experience, German often uses "ist ... gegangen".)
- Modal: Es kann weh tun; Es könnte gehen (less common), "Das geht" / "Das geht nicht" remain standard.
Common mistakes with "es geht"
- Wrong case: "Es geht mich gut" is incorrect. Correct: "Mir geht es gut." (the person takes dative, not accusative.)
- Confusing "es geht" (it’s about / it works / someone’s state) with "es ist" (it is). Example: "Es geht um ein Problem" (it's about a problem) — not "Es ist um ein Problem."
- Using "es" where a demonstrative fits: "Das geht mich nichts an." ("Das" or "Das geht dich nichts an.")
Correct: "Das geht mich nichts an." -> better: "Das geht mich nichts an." (colloquial) or "Das geht dich nichts an." (Use correct dative pronoun.)
es tut weh / weh tun — "it hurts" (physical and emotional pain)
What it means and how it works
"Weh tun" (often written as the separable verb "weh|tun") means "to hurt." In an impersonal construction, you can say "Es tut weh" for "It hurts." For bodily pain in the speaker or another person, German typically uses a dative experiencer + nominative subject (the thing that hurts):
- Mir tut der Kopf weh. — My head hurts. (Literally: "To me the head does hurt.")
- Der Kopf tut mir weh. — The head hurts me.
- Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. — I have a headache. (Alternative phrasing; both are normal.)
Formation and examples
- Generic: Es tut weh. — It hurts.
- Specific: Mir tut der Finger weh. — My finger hurts.
- Emotional: Das tut mir wirklich weh. — That really hurts me (emotionally).
- Question: Tut es weh? — Does it hurt?
- Negation: Das tut nicht weh. — That doesn’t hurt.
- Modal/tense: Das kann weh tun. — That can hurt. / Das tat weh. — That hurt.
Case and common mistakes
- The person experiencing pain is in dative, not accusative. Wrong: "Mich tut der Zahn weh." Correct: "Mir tut der Zahn weh." or "Mein Zahn tut mir weh."
- The body part that hurts is normally nominative: "Der Rücken tut mir weh." If you make it possessive: "Mein Rücken tut mir weh." or simply "Ich habe Rückenschmerzen."
Alternatives and nuance
- "Schmerzen haben": Ich habe Bauchschmerzen. — I have a stomach ache.
- "Das tut weh" vs "Es tut weh": "Das tut weh" usually refers to a specific thing or action (That hurts), while "Es tut weh" is more general or neutral.
- Emotional usage: "Seine Worte tun mir weh." — His words hurt me.
Common mistakes and confusions: side‑by‑side comparisons
Es gibt vs. Es sind / Da sind
- Es gibt viele Bücher in der Bibliothek. — There are many books in the library. (existence)
- In der Bibliothek sind viele Bücher. / Da sind viele Bücher. — In the library there are many books. (location/observation)
Es geht mir gut vs. Ich bin gut
- Mir geht es gut. — I’m well / I’m doing fine. (idiomatic)
- Ich bin gut. — I am good (can mean "I’m a good person" or "I am skillful"). Don’t translate English "I’m good" literally.
Mir tut der Kopf weh vs. Ich habe Kopfschmerzen
- Mir tut der Kopf weh. — My head hurts. (more literal to the sensation)
- Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. — I have a headache. (very common alternative)
Wrong cases students often use
- Wrong: "Es geht mich gut." Correct: "Mir geht es gut." (dative needed)
- Wrong: "Mich tut der Zahn weh." Correct: "Mir tut der Zahn weh." (dative)
- Wrong: "Es gibt ein Mann." Correct: "Es gibt einen Mann." (accusative masculine)
Tenses, negation, and short forms
es gibt
- Present: Es gibt viele Stühle.
- Past: Es gab viele Stühle. / Gestern hat es viele Stühle gegeben.
- Negation: Es gibt keine Stühle.
- Question: Gibt es hier noch Karten?
es geht
- Present: Es geht mir gut.
- Past (state): Es ging mir schlecht.
- Perfect (experience focus): Mir ist schlecht gegangen.
- Negation/possibility: Es geht nicht. / So geht das nicht.
weh tun
- Present: Das tut weh.
- Past (simple): Das tat weh.
- Perfect: Das hat wehgetan. (colloquially "Das hat wehgetan" or more simply "Das tat weh")
- Future: Das wird weh tun. — That will hurt.
- Modal: Das kann weh tun. — That can hurt.
Quick reference: many examples grouped by meaning
es gibt (existence / availability)
- Es gibt einen Bäcker um die Ecke. — There is a baker around the corner.
- Es gibt immer Lösungen. — There are always solutions.
- Gibt es noch Fragen? — Are there any more questions?
- Es gibt keine Milch mehr. — There’s no milk left.
- Es gibt Zeit zu sparen. — There is time to save. (less common phrase; prefer "Es gibt viel zu tun.")
es geht (condition / topic / functioning)
- Wie geht es Ihnen? — How are you? (formal)
- Mir geht es prächtig. — I’m doing splendidly.
- Es geht um deine Zukunft. — It’s about your future.
- Es geht darum, ehrlich zu sein. — The point is to be honest.
- So geht das nicht — That’s not acceptable / That won’t work.
weh tun (physical / emotional pain)
- Mir tut der Rücken weh. — My back hurts.
- Der Zahn tut ihm weh. — His tooth hurts him.
- Das tut mir weh. — That hurts me.
- Tut es weh, wenn ich dich berühre? — Does it hurt when I touch you?
- Es kann kurz wehtun. — It may hurt for a moment.
Glossary: short definitions of important terms
- Impersonal subject (dummy "es"): a grammatical subject that doesn’t refer to a concrete noun or person; it simply fills the subject slot.
- Accusative: the case used for direct objects in German (used after "es gibt").
- Dative: the case used for indirect objects or experiencers in German (used with "es geht" and "weh tun").
- "es gibt": fixed impersonal verb phrase meaning "there is/there are"; takes accusative.
- "es geht": idiomatic; used for condition (with dative), topic ("um + Akk"), and possibility/function.
- "weh tun": verb meaning "to hurt"; the person feeling pain is dative, the thing that hurts is nominative.
Final tips for learners
- Learn the case patterns: "es gibt" takes accusative; with "es geht" and "weh tun" the person is dative.
- Memorize short model phrases: "Es gibt ...", "Wie geht’s? / Mir geht’s gut.", "Mir tut ... weh."
- When in doubt, look for the experiencer. If what you want to say is about someone’s condition or feelings, use dative ("mir/dir/ihm"). If you are simply saying something exists, use "es gibt" + accusative.
- Listen for contractions in speech: "Wie geht's?" and "Mir geht's gut." These are common and natural.
Short summary
- "Es gibt" = there is/there are + accusative (existence/availability).
- "Es geht" = a versatile idiom: how someone is (Mir geht es gut), what something is about (Es geht um ...), or whether/how something works (So geht das nicht).
- "Es tut weh" / "Mir tut ... weh" = it hurts / something hurts someone (dative experiencer + nominative thing that hurts).