German · Romance & Rejection
Mach mich nicht an!
MAKH mikh nikht AHN · /max mɪç nɪçt an/
Don't hit on me! / Don't start with me!
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"Don't switch me on / don't turn me on"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A useful double-edged phrase: "jemanden anmachen" means both "to chat someone up" and "to provoke/have a go at someone." So "Mach mich nicht an!" is either "quit hitting on me" or "don't pick a fight," and tone decides which. Firm brush-off in a bar; sharp warning on the street.
Heard in the wild
Lass mich in Ruhe und mach mich nicht an!
Leave me alone and don't hit on me!
Where it lands
Germany, Austria — universal
Quick answers
- What does "Mach mich nicht an!" mean?
- In German, "Mach mich nicht an!" means "Don't hit on me! / Don't start with me!". Literally it's "Don't switch me on / don't turn me on". A useful double-edged phrase: "jemanden anmachen" means both "to chat someone up" and "to provoke/have a go at someone." So "Mach mich nicht an!" is either "quit hitting on me" or "don't pick a fight," and tone decides which. Firm brush-off in a bar; sharp warning on the street.
- Is "Mach mich nicht an!" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "Mach mich nicht an!"?
- Say it "MAKH mikh nikht AHN" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: max mɪç nɪçt an.
Related in German
Verdammt nochmal! fair-DAMT NOCH-mahl God damn it! / For crying out loud! Hau ab! HOW AP Get lost! / Clear off! / Beat it! Verdammte Scheiße! fair-DAM-tuh SHY-suh God-damn shit! / Bloody hell! Herrgott nochmal! HAIR-got NOCH-mahl For God's sake! / Good Lord! Verpiss dich! fair-PISS dikh Piss off! / Clear off (with force)! Das kotzt mich an! das KOTST mikh AHN That pisses me off! / I'm sick to death of it!
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Get lost".
- French Casse-toi, pauvre con ! Get lost, you pathetic idiot
- Greek άντε γαμήσου Go fuck yourself / get lost / piss off.
- Italian Vaffanculo! Fuck off! / Go to hell!
- Japanese 死ね Drop dead / go die
- Korean 꺼져 Get lost / piss off — you're telling a human to power down.
- Polish spierdalaj Fuck off / piss off.
- Portuguese Vagabundo Bum / lowlife / good-for-nothing (f. 'vagabunda' = slut)
- Russian Иди в баню! Get lost! / Buzz off! (gentle)
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