Useful wishes before an event
The context helps the listener understand the wish. None of these expressions creates a guarantee about the result.
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Viel Glück! | Good luck. |
| Viel Erfolg! | Wishing you success. |
| Ich drücke dir die Daumen. | I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. |
| Du schaffst das. | You can do it. |
| Alles Gute! | All the best; a broader wish. |
| Toi, toi, toi! | A familiar good-luck wish, for example before a performance. |
Replay a line, transcript and audio files
Viel Glück!
Open audio file 1Viel Erfolg!
Open audio file 2Ich drücke dir die Daumen.
Open audio file 3Du schaffst das.
Open audio file 4Toi, toi, toi!
Open audio file 5
Separate a wish from congratulations
Viel Glück bei der Prüfung wishes someone luck with an upcoming exam. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur bestandenen Prüfung congratulates them after they have passed. The time and result are different.
In Ich drücke dir die Daumen, dir is dative and die Daumen is accusative plural. For polite address, use Ich drücke Ihnen die Daumen. Keep the complete expression rather than replacing its parts with a literal English translation.
Respond before an exam
- A
- Morgen habe ich meine Deutschprüfung.
- B
- Viel Erfolg! Ich drücke dir die Daumen.
- A
- Danke, das kann ich gut gebrauchen.
- B
- Meldest du dich danach?
- A
- Ja, ich schreibe dir am Nachmittag.
Reply to the person’s actual situation
Danke! is enough to accept the wish. Danke, dir auch! returns it only when the other person also has a relevant event or challenge. An automatic you too can sound misplaced when only you are taking the exam.
Choose an upcoming event and write two possible wishes and a reply. Then move the event into the past and write a congratulation with an actual result. This contrast helps you retrieve the phrase for the right moment.
Put it into practice
Try each task before opening the answer. Open questions show one possible model answer.
Write the usual short translation of good luck.
Answer and explanation
Viel Glück!
A conventional wish before an event.
Complete: Ich drücke __ die Daumen. (du)
Answer and explanation
dir
The person is dative.
Make that expression polite.
Answer and explanation
Ich drücke Ihnen die Daumen.
Ihnen is the capitalized polite dative.
Congratulate someone who has passed an exam.
Answer and explanation
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur bestandenen Prüfung!
This refers to an achieved result, not an upcoming event.
Give a response that does not assume the sender also has an exam.
Answer and explanation
Danke, das kann ich gut gebrauchen.
A model that accepts the wish without automatically returning it.
Does Viel Erfolg forbid the use of Viel Glück for the same exam?
Answer and explanation
No. Their use can overlap.
The difference in emphasis is not an exclusive rule.
Questions learners ask
Must Viel Glück only refer to pure chance?
No. It can also be used before exams and other prepared activities. Viel Erfolg emphasizes the desired success.
Is Danke, dir auch always suitable?
Use it when the wish is relevant to the other person too. Otherwise a thank-you on its own is clearer.