German Phrase
Ich hab Informatik studiert.
Meaning
This phrase is used to state your academic background in computer science. The word 'hab' is a colloquial shortening of 'habe', making the sentence sound more natural in spoken German. It uses the Perfekt tense, which is the standard way to talk about completed past actions in conversation.
When to use
Use this phrase during job interviews, networking events, or when introducing yourself in a professional or academic setting. It is specifically for university-level studies.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IchhabInformatikstudiert
Hab (Habe)
This is the auxiliary verb 'haben' in the first person singular, shortened for natural spoken flow.
Past Participle
Verbs ending in -ieren, like studieren, do not take the 'ge-' prefix in the past participle form.
🗨In Conversation
Was hast du an der Uni gemacht?
What did you do at university?
Ich hab Informatik studiert.
I studied computer science.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich habe Informatik gelernt.
Use 'studieren' for university subjects; 'lernen' is for general learning or school-level subjects.
Ich bin Informatik studiert.
The verb 'studieren' uses 'haben' as its auxiliary verb in the Perfekt tense, not 'sein'.
↔Alternatives
Mein Hauptfach war Informatik.
My major was computer science.
Ich bin Informatiker.
I am a computer scientist.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, 'studieren' specifically refers to higher education at a university. If you took a coding bootcamp or learned on your own, you would use 'eine Ausbildung machen' or 'sich selbst beibringen' instead.