German Phrase
Schau in deinen Spam-Ordner.
Meaning
A short, informal command telling the listener to look inside their email’s spam folder. It’s often used when a message seems to be missing from the inbox.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversations—between friends, colleagues, or support staff—when you suspect an email has been filtered into the spam folder.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SchauindeinenSpam-Ordner.
Imperativ (du)
‘Schau’ is the singular informal imperative of the verb ‘schauen’ (to look).
Präposition ‘in’ + Akkusativ
When ‘in’ expresses movement into a place, it governs the accusative case.
Possessivartikel im Akkusativ
‘deinen’ is the masculine accusative form of ‘dein’, matching ‘Ordner’ (der Ordner).
Komposita mit Bindestrich
‘Spam-Ordner’ is a hyphenated compound noun; the main noun is ‘Ordner’.
🗨In Conversation
Ich habe die Bestätigung für die Buchung nicht bekommen.
I haven't received the booking confirmation.
Schau in deinen Spam-Ordner.
Check your spam folder.
✕Common Mistakes
Schau in dein Spam-Ordner.
‘dein’ is nominative; the sentence needs accusative ‘deinen’ because ‘Ordner’ is masculine and governed by ‘in’ + accusative.
Schau auf deinen Spam-Ordner.
‘auf’ would imply a static location; with ‘look into’ you need ‘in’ + accusative.
Schau in deinen Spam Ordner.
The compound should be hyphenated: ‘Spam‑Ordner’.
↔Alternatives
Sieh in deinem Spam-Ordner nach.
Take a look in your spam folder.
Wirf einen Blick in deinen Spam-Ordner.
Cast a glance at your spam folder.
Guck mal in deinen Spam-Ordner.
Look at your spam folder.
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking countries it’s common to ask someone to check the ‘Spam‑Ordner’ when an email seems to have vanished. The informal imperative ‘Schau …’ is perfectly acceptable in everyday speech, but in formal written communication you would use the polite form ‘Schauen Sie in Ihren Spam‑Ordner.’