SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Feelings And Emotions

German Phrase

Ich schleppe viel Schuld mit mir rum.

/ɪç ˈʃlɛpə fiːl ʃʊlt mɪt miːɐ̯ ʁʊm/
Meaning"I carry a lot of guilt with me."
💡

Meaning

The sentence means “I carry a lot of guilt with me.” It conveys that the speaker feels burdened by guilt that they cannot easily get rid of. The verb “schleppen” is used figuratively here, emphasizing the heaviness of the emotional load.

🎯

When to use

Use this expression when you want to talk about feeling responsible for something that went wrong, especially when the guilt feels like a heavy weight you’re dragging around in daily life.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchschleppevielSchuldmitmirrum

1

Verb: schleppen

“schleppen” normally means to drag something heavy; figuratively it can describe carrying an emotional burden.

2

Adverbial particle: rum

“rum” (colloquial for “herum”) adds a sense of something being carried around continuously.

3

Dative pronoun: mir

After “mit” the pronoun takes the dative case – “mir” (to me).

4

Quantifier: viel

“viel” modifies uncountable nouns like “Schuld” to indicate a large amount.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich schleppe viel Schuld mit mir rum.

I carry a lot of guilt with me.

Vielleicht hilft es, darüber zu reden.

Maybe it would help to talk about it.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich schleppe viel Schuld mit mir rum.

    Learners sometimes use “schleppe” with a literal meaning of dragging a physical object; here it’s figurative, so ensure the context is emotional.

  • Ich schleppe viel Schuld mit mir rum.

    "rum" is colloquial; in formal writing replace with “herum”.

  • Ich schleppe viel Schuld mit mir rum.

    “Viel Schuld” sounds odd; native speakers often say “viel Schuld” but more natural is “viel Schuld” or “eine Menge Schuld”.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich trage viel Schuld mit mir.

    I bear a lot of guilt.

  • Ich fühle mich von Schuld belastet.

    I feel burdened by guilt.

  • Ich habe ein schlechtes Gewissen.

    I have a guilty conscience.

de

Cultural Tip

In German, using “schleppen” for emotions is informal and slightly colloquial. It adds a vivid, almost physical image of dragging something heavy. In more formal contexts you might prefer “tragen” or “belastet sein von”. Also, “Schuld” (guilt) is often paired with “Gefühl” (feeling) – e.g., “ein schlechtes Gewissen haben”.