How to Voice Your Opinion in German

Imagine your team manager has decided to extend work hours Monday through Thursday so that everyone on the team can take a three-day weekend.

You are not happy about it because you need to pick up your children from school every weekday, and working longer hours would mean that you have to ask somebody else to do it for you.

You also know that other colleagues are not thrilled about the new decision either.

What should you do?

How can you clearly and confidently voice your opinion in German without stepping on someone’s toes?

“jemandem auf den Schlips treten”

literally: to step on someone's tie

One option, of course, is to remain silent and not say anything. But if you do so, you and your colleagues will likely be upset with the decision.

And your manager will be puzzled by the lack of support she received when initially bringing the idea to the table.

A much better solution is to use these strategies and techniques with the correct phrases to voice your opinion politely and confidently, even if you have an opposing idea.

And this is precisely what you will learn in this lesson.

But first, let me introduce some basic vocabulary that you will encounter in the commonly used opinion phrases in German:

die Meinung – the opinion

die Ansicht – the view

die Erfahrung – the experience

zustimmen – to agree

widersprechen – to disagree

finden – to find

denken – to think

verstehen – to understand

überzeugt sein – to be convinced

wahr – true

falsch – false

Now that you know some basic vocabulary, it’s time to voice your opinion. In doing so, you might feel unsure how to word your statement.

The following strategies and opinion phrases will help you express your opposing ideas in German.

3 Strategies to Voice Your Opinion in German

Strategy #1: Acknowledge the Strength of the Opposite Argument or Point of View

Before you present your point of view, first, highlight the strength of the speaker’s argument and expertise. Show that you respect their opinion and are listening to their thoughts.

Then, introduce your opposite argument clearly and confidently using the following functional phrases:

Meiner Meinung nach …
In my opinion…

Ich bin der Meinung, dass …
I think that …

Meine Meinung dazu ist, dass …
My personal view is that…

Meiner Erfahrung nach …
In my experience…

Mir scheint, dass …
It seems to me that …

So wie ich das sehe, …
From my point of view …

Examples:

“Ich stimme Ihren Aussagen zu. Meiner Meinung nach könnte die viertägige Arbeitswoche unseren Mitarbeitern helfen, produktiver zu arbeiten.”

“I agree with what you said. In my opinion, the four-day workweek could help our employees work more productively.”

“Ich verstehe Sie und denke, dass Sie einige gute Argumente vorbringen. Mir scheint, dass die viertägige Arbeitswoche viel produktiver wäre.”

“I understand you and think that you make some valid points. It seems to me that the four-day workweek would be much more productive.”

Strategy #2: Express Your Opinion Confidently by Using “Neutral” Words

In expressing your disagreement, it is essential to reduce any tension and make the correct word choices.

Avoid words such as “aber” (but),”falsch” (false) or expressions such as “Ich stimme nicht zu” (I don’t agree). Focus instead on “neutral” words and “I” statements:

Ich denke, …
I think…

Ich glaube, …
I believe…

Ich finde, …
I find…

Ich verstehe …
I understand …

Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass …
I’m convinced that …

Ich stimme zu, …
I agree …

Examples:

“Ich stimme zu, dass wir produktiver arbeiten könnten. Gleichzeitig denke ich, dass wir uns überlegen sollten, wie wir unsere Familienangelegenheiten organisieren sollten.”

"I agree that we could be more productive. At the same time, I think that we should consider the organization of our family affairs.”

“Ihre vorgeschlagenen Arbeitszeiten werden sicher zur besseren Produktivität beitragen. Auch finde ich, dass wir uns bewusst sein sollten, wie sich diese längeren Arbeitstage auf unser Familienleben auswirken könnten.”

“Your suggested working hours will certainly help improve productivity. I also think that we should be aware of how these longer working days could affect our family life.” 

Strategy #3: Ask Questions or Make Suggestions

Sometimes the best strategy is to ask questions or make suggestions.

This strategy is beneficial if the person is sensitive to opposing opinions or when the topic is controversial.

Here are some examples:

Wie wäre es, wenn…
How about/ What if …

Was halten Sie/Was hältst du von … ?
What are your thoughts on …..

Überlegen wir uns …
Let’s consider …

Denken wir daran, …
Let’s think about …

Examples:

“Wie wäre es, wenn wir Ihren Vorschlag nocheinmal diskutieren?”

“What if we discuss your proposal one more time?”

“Was halten Sie davon, wenn wir die längeren Arbeitstage in unserem nächsten Team Meeting besprechen?”

“What are your thoughts on discussing the longer work hours in our next team meeting?”

Additional Tips to Voice Your Opinion in German

As you probably already know, Germans are not shy in voicing their opinion, often in a straightforward way. You might be startled at the directness and enthusiasm while defending their views about something.

Here are some additional phrases for stating your opinion in German conversations and sharing your views on something. They start gently and become more assertive in expressing a disagreement.