German Agreement: Using 'Ich auch' and 'Ich auch nicht'
Learn to agree with positive and negative statements in German using 'Ich auch' and 'Ich auch nicht', with dative 'Mir auch' for likes and dislikes.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, you agree with 'So do I' or 'Neither do I', which use inversion. German does not use 'do' or inversion for this. Instead, you use short phrases like 'Ich auch' (I too) for positive statements and 'Ich auch nicht' (I also not) for negative statements. When the verb is 'gefallen' or similar dative verbs, you use 'Mir auch' (to me too) or 'Mir auch nicht'. This lesson teaches you these patterns so you can naturally agree with others in conversation.
By the end, you can…
- agree with a positive statement using 'Ich auch' or 'Mir auch'.
- agree with a negative statement using 'Ich auch nicht' or 'Mir auch nicht'.
- distinguish when to use nominative 'Ich' versus dative 'Mir' based on the verb.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ich auch.
Me too. / So do I.
ikh owkh (the 'ch' is a soft sound made at the front of the mouth, like the 'h' in 'huge')
Use when agreeing with a positive statement where the subject is 'ich' and the verb is not a dative verb. Example: 'Ich liebe Tee.' – 'Ich auch.'
Ich auch nicht.
Me neither. / Neither do I.
ikh owkh nikht
Use when agreeing with a negative statement. Example: 'Ich mag keinen Kaffee.' – 'Ich auch nicht.'
Mir auch.
Me too. (for likes/dislikes)
meer owkh
Use with dative verbs like 'gefallen', 'schmecken', 'passen'. Example: 'Die Suppe schmeckt mir.' – 'Mir auch.'
Mir auch nicht.
Me neither. (for likes/dislikes)
meer owkh nikht
Use with dative verbs in negative statements. Example: 'Der Film gefällt mir nicht.' – 'Mir auch nicht.'
Das stimmt.
That's right.
dahs shtimt
A general way to agree with a statement, but it does not specifically mean 'me too'. Use when you want to confirm someone's opinion.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To agree with a positive statement, use 'Ich auch' if the original sentence has 'ich' as the subject and the verb is not a dative verb. For example: 'Ich trinke gern Kaffee.' – 'Ich auch.' If the verb is a dative verb like 'gefallen', use 'Mir auch': 'Die Stadt gefällt mir.' – 'Mir auch.' For negative statements, add 'nicht': 'Ich auch nicht' or 'Mir auch nicht'. Note that 'auch' comes before 'nicht' in the negative form.
When to use it
Use these phrases in casual conversation to show agreement. They are common in both formal and informal settings, but 'Ich auch' is more typical in spoken German. Avoid using 'So do I' or 'Neither do I' literally; German does not use 'do' or inversion here. For example, do not say 'So mache ich' or 'Ich mache auch' as a direct translation. Instead, simply say 'Ich auch' or 'Ich auch nicht'. If you want to be more formal, you can say 'Das geht mir genauso' (I feel the same way).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ich liebe Schokolade.
I love chocolate.ikh LEE-buh shoh-koh-LAH-duhIch auch. Aber ich mag keine Erdbeeren.
Me too. But I don't like strawberries.ikh owkh. AH-ber ikh mahk KYE-nuh AIRT-bair-enIch auch nicht. Und ich trinke keinen Kaffee.
Me neither. And I don't drink coffee.ikh owkh nikht. unt ikh TRIN-kuh KYE-nen KAH-fayMir auch nicht. Kaffee schmeckt mir nicht.
Me neither. I don't like the taste of coffee.meer owkh nikht. KAH-fay shmekt meer nikhtA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, direct agreement with 'Ich auch' is common and considered friendly. However, in more formal contexts, such as business meetings, people might use 'Das sehe ich genauso' (I see it the same way) or 'Da stimme ich Ihnen zu' (I agree with you). The dative 'Mir auch' is standard in all regions, but in some southern German and Austrian dialects, you might hear 'Mir aa' instead of 'Mir auch'. Stick to standard German for clarity.
One thing to watch for
Using 'So mache ich' or 'Ich mache auch' to mean 'So do I'.
Try this instead: German does not use 'do' or inversion for agreement. Simply say 'Ich auch' for positive statements and 'Ich auch nicht' for negative ones. For example, 'Ich lese gern.' – 'Ich auch.' (not 'So mache ich.').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you agree with 'Ich mag Pizza'?
Show a sample answer
Ich auch.
'Ich mag Pizza' is a positive statement with 'ich' as subject and a non-dative verb, so 'Ich auch' is correct. 'Mir auch' would be wrong because 'mögen' is not a dative verb.
2How do you agree with 'Der Kaffee schmeckt mir nicht'?
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Mir auch nicht.
'Schmecken' is a dative verb, so you need 'Mir auch nicht' to agree with the negative statement. 'Ich auch nicht' would be grammatically incorrect here.
3What is the difference between 'Ich auch' and 'Mir auch'?
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'Ich auch' is used when the original sentence has 'ich' as the subject (nominative), while 'Mir auch' is used with dative verbs like 'gefallen', 'schmecken', 'passen'.
The choice depends on the verb's case. For example, 'Ich liebe Tee' takes 'Ich auch', but 'Tee gefällt mir' takes 'Mir auch'.
To agree in German, use 'Ich auch' for positive statements and 'Ich auch nicht' for negative ones. Switch to 'Mir auch' or 'Mir auch nicht' with dative verbs like 'gefallen' and 'schmecken'. Never translate 'So do I' literally.
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