Exclamatory sentences in German are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, joy, anger, or admiration. They often begin with wie (how) or was (what). The word order in these sentences is similar to that of questions: the verb comes second, followed by the subject.
How exclamatory sentences work
Exclamatory sentences usually start with wie or was, followed by the verb and subject. The rest of the sentence comes after. They end with an exclamation mark ( ! ).
Examples
- Was für ein schönes Haus!*
- What a beautiful house!
- Wie schnell du rennst!*
- How fast you run!
Using “wie” (how) for exclamations
Wie is used to comment on the manner, intensity, or quality of something.
- Wie groß du geworden bist!*
- How tall you have become!
- Wie schön das Lied ist!*
- How beautiful the song is!
- Wie mutig sie war!*
- How brave she was!
Special cases with “wie”
- You can emphasize by adding doch, ja, or bloß (e.g., Wie schön doch der Frühling ist!).
- When followed by a clause, maintain normal word order after wie (e.g., Wie du heute lachst!).
Using “was” (what) for exclamations
Was is used when reacting to a noun or noun phrase, similar to “what a...” in English.
- Was für ein Klima!*
- What an atmosphere!
- Was für ein toller Sänger!*
- What a great singer!
- Was für herrliches Wetter!*
- What wonderful weather!
Structure with “was für”
When you use was für, it’s followed by an indefinite article (ein, eine, etc.) and a noun. The adjective before the noun takes case endings as usual.
- Was für ein (masculine/neuter), Was für eine* (feminine)
- Was für schöne Blumen!*
Verbs in exclamatory sentences
Not all exclamatory sentences use wie or was. Sometimes, just starting with a verb adds emphasis.
- Gott sei Dank!*
- Thank God!
- Komm bloß pünktlich!*
- Just be punctual!
- Halt dich fest!*
- Hold on tight!
How to express different emotions
The choice of words and punctuation conveys the emotion behind the exclamation:
- Joy or admiration: Wie wunderbar!
- Surprise: Was für ein Schreck!
- Anger: Wie kannst du nur!
- Relief: Gott sei Dank!
Remember to use an exclamation mark to show strong feeling.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
