Breakdown of Wenn mir übel ist, bleibe ich im Bett und lese ein Buch.
sein
to be
und
and
ich
I
das Buch
the book
Questions & Answers about Wenn mir übel ist, bleibe ich im Bett und lese ein Buch.
Why does the sentence say „mir übel ist“ and not „ich bin übel“?
German normally does not say „ich bin übel“ for “I feel sick / nauseous.”
Instead, it uses an impersonal structure with a dative pronoun:
- Mir ist übel. – literally: To me is nauseous → “I feel sick.”
So in the sentence:
- Wenn mir übel ist, … = “When I feel sick, …”
The feeling (übel) is what “is,” and you are the person to whom this state applies, so you appear in the dative (mir), not as the subject (ich).
Why is it „mir“ and not „mich“?
- mir = dative (to me, for me)
- mich = accusative (me as a direct object)
Expressions for physical or emotional states in German often use the dative:
- Mir ist kalt. – I’m cold.
- Mir ist langweilig. – I’m bored.
- Mir ist übel. – I feel sick.
So „Wenn mir übel ist“ literally means “When it is sick to me,” which is just how German structures this kind of feeling.
Could you also say „Wenn es mir übel ist“? Where is the „es“?