German Phrase
Ich kriege es nicht aus dem Kopf.
Meaning
Literally, “I can’t get it out of my head.” It expresses that a thought, image, or memory keeps replaying in one’s mind and the speaker cannot stop thinking about it.
When to use
Use this sentence when something has stuck with you—whether it’s a catchy song, a surprising fact, a funny incident, or a troubling worry—and you want to convey that it’s hard to forget.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IchkriegeesnichtausdemKopf
Verb: kriegen
‘kriegen’ is a colloquial synonym for ‘bekommen’ (to get/receive). In the present tense, it conjugates as ich kriege, du bekommst, er/sie/es bekommt, etc.
Negation: nicht
‘nicht’ negates the verb phrase that follows it. Here it negates ‘aus dem Kopf bekommen’.
Prepositional phrase: aus dem Kopf
‘aus dem Kopf’ literally means ‘out of the head’, i.e., ‘to get out of one’s mind’. The article ‘dem’ is dative because of the preposition ‘aus’.
Word order
In main clauses, the finite verb (kriege) is in second position. The object ‘es’ and adverbial ‘nicht’ follow, then the prepositional phrase.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du den Film gestern gesehen?
Did you watch the movie yesterday?
Ja, und ich kriege die letzte Szene nicht aus dem Kopf.
Yes, and I can’t get the final scene out of my head.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich nicht kriege es aus dem Kopf.
Placing ‘nicht’ before the verb would change the meaning to ‘I do not get it out of the head’ (i.e., I refuse). It must stay after the object ‘es’.
Ich kriege es nicht aus der Kopf.
The article must be dative ‘dem’ because of ‘aus’. Using ‘der’ (accusative) is grammatically wrong.
Ich bekomme es nicht aus dem Kopf.
In very formal contexts, ‘bekomme’ is preferred; ‘kriege’ sounds colloquial.
↔Alternatives
Ich komme nicht darüber hinweg.
I can’t get over it.
Es lässt mich nicht los.
It won’t let go of me.
Ich kann es nicht vergessen.
I can’t forget it.
Cultural Tip
‘Kriegen’ is more common in spoken German, especially in northern and central regions. In formal writing you would prefer ‘bekommen’ or ‘erhalten’. The expression ‘es aus dem Kopf bekommen’ is idiomatic; you’ll hear it in everyday conversation, movies, and pop‑culture lyrics.