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German Phrase

Ich krieg meine Tür nicht auf.

/ɪç ˈkʁiːɡ ˈmaɪ̯nə ˈtyːɐ̯ nɪçt aʊ̯f/
Meaning"I can’t open my door."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘I can’t get my door open.’ It is used when a door is jammed, stuck, or otherwise impossible to open, and the speaker is expressing frustration or asking for help.

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When to use

Use this sentence in informal situations – at home, with friends, or when calling a locksmith. It can also be used metaphorically to say you can’t ‘open’ a situation, but the literal meaning is far more common.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchkriegmeineTürnichtauf

1

Separable verb (aufkriegen)

‘aufkriegen’ is a separable verb; in the present tense the prefix ‘auf’ moves to the end of the clause: ich krieg … auf.

2

Colloquial ‘kriegen’

‘kriegen’ is used like ‘schaffen/vermögen’ in everyday speech. In formal contexts you would use ‘können’ or ‘schaffen’.

3

Negation placement

‘nicht’ is placed directly before the infinitive ‘auf’ to negate the action.

4

Possessive adjective

‘meine’ agrees with the feminine noun ‘Tür’ in gender, number, and case (accusative).

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich krieg meine Tür nicht auf.

I can’t open my door.

Hast du schon versucht, den Schlüssel zu drehen?

Have you tried turning the key?

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich kriege meine Tür nicht auf.

    In informal speech native speakers drop the ‘e’ (ich krieg). Using ‘kriege’ sounds overly formal for this colloquial phrase.

  • Ich krieg meine Tür auf nicht.

    Placing ‘nicht’ after the verb prefix changes the meaning; it must stay before the infinitive ‘auf’.

  • Ich bekomme meine Tür nicht auf.

    ‘Bekommen’ means ‘to receive’, not ‘to manage to do something’. Use ‘kriegen’ or ‘können’ instead.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich kann meine Tür nicht öffnen.

    I can’t open my door.

  • Mir geht die Tür nicht auf.

    The door won’t open for me.

  • Ich schaffe es nicht, die Tür zu öffnen.

    I’m unable to open the door.

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Cultural Tip

‘Krieg’ instead of the standard ‘kriege’ is typical of spoken German, especially in northern and central regions. It’s perfectly fine in casual conversation, but avoid it in formal writing or business emails. Also, Germans often use the dative construction ‘mir geht … nicht auf’ when talking about doors that won’t open on their own.