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German Phrase

Ich hab mich verlaufen. Wie kriege ich Hilfe?

/ɪç haːp mɪç fɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯fən. viː ˈkʁiːɡə ɪç ˈhɪlfə?/
Meaning"I got lost. How do I get help?"
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Meaning

Literally, ‘I have gotten myself lost. How do I get help?’ It is a short, informal way to tell a stranger that you are lost and to ask for assistance. The first sentence uses the perfect tense, the second is a direct question about obtaining help.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you find yourself disoriented in a city, on a train station, or any public place and need to ask a passer‑by for directions or assistance. It works best in casual or semi‑formal situations; in very formal settings you might replace ‘hab’ with ‘habe’ and ‘kriege’ with ‘bekomme’.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Ichhabmichverlaufen.WiekriegeichHilfe?

1

hab (habe) – auxiliary verb

‘hab’ is the colloquial contraction of ‘habe’, the auxiliary verb used with the perfect tense of ‘verlaufen’.

2

reflexive verb ‘verlaufen’

‘verlaufen’ is used reflexively (mich) and means ‘to get lost’. In the perfect it takes ‘haben’ as the auxiliary.

3

‘kriegen’ vs ‘bekommen’

‘kriegen’ is an informal synonym of ‘bekommen’ (to get). It is common in spoken German but avoided in very formal contexts.

4

question word order

In a yes‑no or wh‑question the finite verb (‘kriege’) moves to the first position, followed by the subject.

🗨In Conversation

A

Entschuldigung, ich hab mich verlaufen. Wie kriege ich Hilfe?

Excuse me, I’m lost. How can I get help?

Kein Problem, gehen Sie geradeaus zum Bahnhof, dann rechts. Dort gibt es ein Informationsschalter.

No problem, go straight to the train station, then turn right. There’s an information desk there.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich bin mich verlaufen.

    ‘verlaufen’ uses ‘haben’ as the auxiliary, not ‘sein’. The correct form is ‘ich habe mich verlaufen’.

  • Wie kriege ich Hilfe?

    ‘kriegen’ is informal; in a formal request you should use ‘bekomme’. The meaning stays the same.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich habe mich verlaufen. Wie bekomme ich Hilfe?

    I have gotten lost. How can I get help?

  • Entschuldigung, ich bin verloren. Können Sie mir helfen?

    Excuse me, I’m lost. Can you help me?

  • Ich habe mich verirrt. Wo finde ich Hilfe?

    I have gone astray. Where can I find help?

de

Cultural Tip

German speakers often start with ‘Entschuldigung’ or ‘Entschuldigen Sie bitte’ to be polite, especially with strangers. In the south of Germany you’ll hear ‘Wie bekomme ich Hilfe?’ more often, while ‘kriegen’ is typical in northern colloquial speech. If you’re in a very formal environment (e.g., a government office), switch to the full forms ‘habe’ and ‘bekomme’.