German Phrase
Schau der Person in die Augen und geh weg.
Meaning
A blunt command telling someone to look the other person straight in the eyes and then leave. It carries a confrontational tone and is usually used in heated or decisive moments.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to end a conversation forcefully, for example in a dispute, when you want the other party to face you directly one last time and then walk away.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SchauderPersonindieAugenundgehweg
Imperative of *schauen*
‘Schau’ is the singular informal imperative of the verb *schauen* (to look).
Dative object *der Person*
The person you are looking at is in the dative case because *schauen* can take a dative object when the focus is on the target of the gaze.
Prepositional phrase *in die Augen*
‘in’ + accusative expresses direction – you look *into* the eyes.
Imperative of *gehen*
‘geh’ is the singular informal imperative of *gehen* (to go).
Adverb *weg*
‘weg’ is a separable particle that follows the verb in the imperative, meaning ‘away’.
🗨In Conversation
Schau der Person in die Augen und geh weg.
Look the person in the eyes and go away.
Okay, ich gehe.
Okay, I’m leaving.
✕Common Mistakes
Schau die Person in die Augen und geh weg.
‘Schau’ takes a dative object here; the correct form is ‘der Person’.
Schau der Person in den Augen und geh weg.
The preposition ‘in’ with the direction ‘into’ requires the accusative ‘die Augen’, not dative ‘den Augen’.
Schau der Person in die Augen und geh.
When using the separable particle ‘weg’, it must stay attached to the verb in the imperative; omitting it changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Sieh der Person in die Augen und verschwinde.
Look the person in the eyes and disappear.
Sieh ihr in die Augen und geh dann.
Look at her in the eyes and then go.
Schau ihr in die Augen, dann geh weg.
Look at her in the eyes, then go away.
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking cultures direct eye contact can be a sign of confidence, but in a command it may feel aggressive. The imperative without ‘bitte’ is very strong; if you need a softer tone, add ‘bitte’ or use a conditional form. Also, note that the dative ‘der Person’ is essential – using the accusative ‘die Person’ would be grammatically wrong and sound odd to native speakers.