German Phrase
Was, wenn ich mich unsicher fühle?
Meaning
Literally, “What if I feel insecure?” The speaker is wondering about a possible future feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence, often as a pre‑emptive concern before taking a step.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to voice a hypothetical worry, for example before a presentation, a job interview, or when discussing personal growth. It works well in both casual conversation and more reflective, therapeutic contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Waswennichmichunsicherfühle
Was, wenn
A fixed conditional phrase meaning “what if”. It introduces a hypothetical situation and is followed by a clause with the verb at the end.
Reflexive verb fühlen
‘sich fühlen’ is used to describe an internal state. The reflexive pronoun (mich) comes before the adjective and the verb.
Adjective placement
When used with ‘sich fühlen’, the adjective (unsicher) stays in its base form; no ending is added because it functions as a predicative adjective.
Verb‑final order
In subordinate clauses introduced by ‘wenn’, the finite verb (fühle) moves to the end of the clause.
🗨In Conversation
Was, wenn ich mich unsicher fühle, bevor ich die Rede halte?
What if I feel insecure before giving the speech?
Dann atme tief durch und erinnere dich an deine Vorbereitung.
Then take a deep breath and remind yourself of your preparation.
✕Common Mistakes
wenn ich fühle mich unsicher
The reflexive pronoun must come before the adjective and the verb stays at the end of the clause.
Was, wenn ich mich unsichere fühle?
‘unsicher’ is a predicative adjective after ‘sich fühlen’; it does not take an ending.
Was wenn ich mich unsicher fühle?
A comma after ‘Was’ is required in standard German.
↔Alternatives
Was, falls ich mich unsicher fühle?
What if I feel insecure?
Was, wenn ich unsicher bin?
What if I'm insecure?
Was, wenn ich mich unsicher fühle, könnte ich dann ...?
What if I feel insecure, could I then ...?
Cultural Tip
In German, the comma after ‘Was’ is mandatory because ‘Was, wenn …’ is treated as a parenthetical clause. Native speakers often use this construction to soften a request or to explore possibilities without committing to them. In formal writing the comma is especially important, while in spoken language the pause is usually enough for listeners to understand.