Breakdown of Ich bin appetitlos, weil mir noch schwindelig ist.
Questions & Answers about Ich bin appetitlos, weil mir noch schwindelig ist.
Why is it mir and not ich in weil mir noch schwindelig ist?
Because schwindelig sein is commonly used with the dative in German.
- Mir ist schwindelig = I feel dizzy
- Literally, it is closer to To me, it is dizzy
So:
- ich = nominative, used for the subject
- mir = dative, used here for the person experiencing the feeling
This is a pattern you should learn as a fixed expression:
- Mir ist kalt = I am cold
- Mir ist übel = I feel nauseous
- Mir ist schwindelig = I feel dizzy
Why does ist come at the end after weil?
Because weil introduces a subordinate clause, and in standard German, the conjugated verb goes to the end of a subordinate clause.
So:
- Ich bin appetitlos = main clause
- weil mir noch schwindelig ist = subordinate clause
That is why you get:
- weil ... ist
Not:
- weil mir noch ist schwindelig
This is a very important word-order rule in German.
What does noch mean here?
Here, noch means still.
So:
- mir noch schwindelig ist = I am still dizzy / I still feel dizzy
It suggests that the dizziness started earlier and has not gone away yet.
Compare:
- Mir ist schwindelig. = I feel dizzy.
- Mir ist noch schwindelig. = I still feel dizzy.
What does appetitlos mean exactly?
Appetitlos means without appetite or having no appetite.
So:
- Ich bin appetitlos = I have no appetite / I am not hungry because I do not feel like eating
It does not just mean full. It often suggests that something, such as illness, stress, or discomfort, is causing a lack of appetite.
A very common alternative is:
- Ich habe keinen Appetit. = I have no appetite.
That version is often a bit more natural in everyday speech.
Why is it bin appetitlos and not habe appetitlos?
Because appetitlos is an adjective, and adjectives are commonly used with sein.
So:
- Ich bin appetitlos. = I am without appetite.
But if you use the noun Appetit, then you use haben:
- Ich habe keinen Appetit. = I have no appetite.
So the difference is:
- sein + adjective → appetitlos
- haben + noun → Appetit
Is Ich bin appetitlos natural German?
Yes, it is understandable and correct, but many native speakers would more often say:
- Ich habe keinen Appetit, weil mir noch schwindelig ist.
That sounds slightly more everyday and idiomatic.
Still, Ich bin appetitlos is not wrong. It can sound a little more descriptive or formal.
Why is there a comma before weil?
Because in German, a subordinate clause is usually separated from the main clause by a comma.
So:
- Ich bin appetitlos, weil mir noch schwindelig ist.
The comma marks the start of the weil clause.
This is standard German punctuation.
Could I use denn instead of weil?
Yes, but the word order changes.
With weil, the verb goes to the end:
- Ich bin appetitlos, weil mir noch schwindelig ist.
With denn, the clause keeps main-clause word order:
- Ich bin appetitlos, denn mir ist noch schwindelig.
Both mean because, but:
- weil is very common in everyday German
- denn can sound a bit more formal or written, depending on context
Can the sentence start with the weil clause instead?
Yes.
You can say:
- Weil mir noch schwindelig ist, bin ich appetitlos.
When the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause still follows the normal German rule that the conjugated verb comes in second position:
- ..., bin ich appetitlos
So you do not say:
- Weil mir noch schwindelig ist, ich bin appetitlos.
Is schwindelig the only possible form, or is schwindlig also correct?
Both schwindelig and schwindlig are correct.
- mir ist schwindelig
- mir ist schwindlig
They mean the same thing: I feel dizzy.
Schwindelig is very common and often taught first, but you may hear both forms depending on region and speaker.
Is Appetit always spelled with a capital letter, but appetitlos is not?
Yes.
In German:
- Appetit is a noun, so it is capitalized.
- appetitlos is an adjective, so it is usually not capitalized.
Compare:
- Ich habe keinen Appetit.
- Ich bin appetitlos.
This is part of the general German rule that all nouns are capitalized.
What is the basic structure of the whole sentence?
The sentence has two parts:
Ich bin appetitlos
- Ich = subject
- bin = verb
- appetitlos = adjective
weil mir noch schwindelig ist
- weil = because
- mir = dative experiencer
- noch = still
- schwindelig = dizzy
- ist = verb at the end because it is a subordinate clause
So the overall structure is:
- main clause + subordinate clause
And the meaning is basically:
- I have no appetite because I still feel dizzy.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Ich bin appetitlos, weil mir noch schwindelig ist to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions