German Phrase
Bei mir gibt's 'nen Bluescreen.
Meaning
Literally: “At my place there’s a bluescreen.” In everyday speech it means “My computer just threw a blue‑screen error.” The sentence is informal and typical for a tech‑savvy conversation among friends.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to complain about a sudden computer crash in a casual setting – e.g., with friends, coworkers in a relaxed office, or on a gaming chat. It is too colloquial for formal reports or official support tickets.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Beimirgibt's'nenBluescreen.
Bei + Dativ
The preposition *bei* always takes the dative case and means “at” or “with” in the sense of location or circumstance.
mir (Dativ)
Personal pronoun *mir* is the dative form of *ich* and is used after *bei*.
gibt's = gibt es
The colloquial contraction *gibt's* stands for *gibt es* – “there is/are”.
'nen = einen
In spoken German *'nen* is a shortened, informal version of the masculine accusative article *einen*.
Bluescreen (loanword)
A technical loanword from English, used unchanged in German to describe the Windows error screen.
🗨In Conversation
Bei mir gibt's 'nen Bluescreen.
My PC just gave me a bluescreen.
Oh nein, hast du schon deine Daten gesichert?
Oh no, have you backed up your data yet?
✕Common Mistakes
Bei mir gibt es einen Bluescreen.
In casual speech the contraction *gibt's* sounds natural; using the full form can feel stiff.
Bei mir gibt's ein Bluescreen.
Replacing *'nen* with the nominative *ein* is grammatically wrong because the noun is accusative masculine.
Bei ich gibt's 'nen Bluescreen.
Using the nominative *ich* after *bei* breaks the dative requirement.
↔Alternatives
Mein PC zeigt einen Bluescreen.
My PC shows a bluescreen.
Bei mir erscheint ein Bluescreen.
A bluescreen appears on my computer.
Mein Rechner hat einen Bluescreen bekommen.
My computer got a bluescreen.
Cultural Tip
The contraction *'nen* is typical of spoken, informal German, especially among younger speakers. In written or formal contexts you would use *einen*. Also, while *Bluescreen* is an English loanword, Germans often add the article *ein* or *einen* when they talk about the error, mirroring the English phrase “a bluescreen”.