German Phrase
Ich kann's kaum erwarten!
Meaning
Literally, the sentence means ‘I can hardly wait!’ It expresses strong anticipation or excitement about something that is about to happen. The contraction ‘kann's’ makes the phrase sound informal and lively, typical of everyday spoken German.
When to use
Use this expression when you are eagerly looking forward to an event, a meeting, a movie premiere, a holiday, or any situation that makes you excited. It works best in casual conversation with friends, family, or colleagues, but avoid it in very formal written contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ichkann'skaumerwarten!
Personalpronomen (Ich)
Subject pronoun 'Ich' means 'I' and is always capitalized in German.
Modalverb (kann)
The modal verb 'kann' (can) is the present tense of 'können' and is used with an infinitive.
Kontraktion (kann's)
‘kann's’ is a spoken contraction of ‘kann es’; the apostrophe replaces the omitted ‘e’ of ‘es’.
Adverb (kaum)
‘kaum’ means ‘hardly’ or ‘barely’ and modifies the verb phrase, emphasizing the speaker’s impatience.
Infinitiv (erwarten)
‘erwarten’ is the infinitive ‘to expect/await’; with a modal verb it stays in its base form.
🗨In Conversation
Das Konzert beginnt in einer Stunde. Ich kann's kaum erwarten!
The concert starts in an hour. I can hardly wait!
Ich auch! Die Band ist großartig.
Me too! The band is awesome.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich kann's kaum erwarten.
In formal writing you should use the full form ‘kann es’ instead of the contraction.
Ich kann erwarten kaum.
‘kaum’ must stay before the infinitive; ‘Ich kann erwarten kaum’ is incorrect.
Ich kann's zu erwarten.
Do not add ‘zu’ after a modal verb; ‘Ich kann zu erwarten’ is wrong.
↔Alternatives
Ich freue mich schon darauf!
I’m already looking forward to it!
Ich kann es kaum abwarten!
I can hardly wait for it!
Ich bin ganz gespannt!
I’m really excited!
Cultural Tip
In German, showing enthusiasm with phrases like ‘Ich kann's kaum erwarten!’ is common and well‑received, especially among younger speakers. The contraction ‘kann's’ is typical of spoken language and may feel too informal in business emails, where you’d prefer the full form ‘Ich kann es kaum erwarten.’ Regional accents don’t change the phrase much, but in southern Germany you might hear a slightly softer ‘kann’s’ with a more rounded vowel.