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German Phrase

Ich hab's so gemacht: ich hab Erfolge anerkannt.

/ɪç haːps zoː ɡəˈmaxt ɪç haː ˈɛʁfɔʁzə ˈaːnɐkən(t)/
Meaning"I did it that way: I recognized successes."
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Meaning

The speaker is explaining their approach: they did something in a particular way, namely by recognizing (or acknowledging) successes. The sentence is informal, using spoken contractions and a straightforward structure.

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When to use

Use this phrase in casual conversation when you want to describe a personal strategy or mindset, especially after a project, a workout, or any situation where you want to highlight that you focused on acknowledging achievements.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Ichhab'ssogemacht:ichhabErfolgeanerkannt.

1

hab's = habe es

In spoken German "hab's" is a contraction of "habe es". It is informal and usually avoided in writing.

2

hab (colloquial)

"hab" is the colloquial short form of "habe". In formal contexts you should use the full verb.

3

Verb‑second (V2) order

German main clauses place the finite verb in second position – here "hab's" follows the subject "Ich".

4

Colon usage

A colon can introduce an explanation or elaboration, as in "Ich hab's so gemacht: …"

5

Noun capitalization

All nouns are capitalized in German, so "Erfolge" must start with a capital E.

6

Past participle with haben

"anerkannt" is the past participle of "anerkennen" and forms the perfect tense with "haben".

🗨In Conversation

A

Wie bist du mit dem neuen Projekt vorgegangen?

How did you approach the new project?

Ich hab's so gemacht: ich hab Erfolge anerkannt.

I did it that way: I recognized successes.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich hab's so gemacht.

    In formal writing you should use "habe es" instead of the spoken contraction "hab's".

  • ich hab Erfolge anerkannt.

    The verb should be in the full form "habe" in standard German, especially in written contexts.

  • ich hab erfolge anerkannt.

    Never write nouns in lower case; "Erfolge" must be capitalized.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich habe es so gemacht: Ich habe Erfolge anerkannt.

    I did it that way: I recognized successes.

  • Ich habe es so gehandhabt, indem ich meine Erfolge gewürdigt habe.

    I handled it that way by acknowledging my successes.

  • Mein Vorgehen war, Erfolge zu würdigen.

    My approach was to acknowledge successes.

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Cultural Tip

In German culture, openly acknowledging one's own successes is acceptable in informal settings, but in professional or modest contexts it can be perceived as boastful. Adjust the tone by adding modest phrases like "ein bisschen" or "nach und nach" if you want to sound more humble. Also, remember that "hab's" and "hab" are strictly spoken forms; written German prefers the full "habe".