auf meinen Nacken
my treat; I'll pay / I've got it (lit. 'on my neck')
Origin
The phrase „auf meinen Nacken“ (literally 'on my neck') means 'it's on me / I'll cover it' and signals that you are paying for others or taking responsibility. It spread mainly through German rap and hip-hop (e.g. Ali Bumaye, Capital Bra), and is commonly traced to youth-slang use among young people with Arabic or Turkish backgrounds. In 2018 „Auf dein Nacken“ was a nominee for Youth Word of the Year (the winner that year was „Ehrenmann/Ehrenfrau“). In casual speech the ending is often dropped, so you also hear „auf mein Nacken“.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Verb 'gehören' (to belong to, + dative)Verb 'gehören' (+ Dativ)
- Possessive articles in the dativePossessivartikel im Dativ
- Subordinate clause with 'dass' (that)Nebensatz mit 'dass'
- Temporal preposition 'vor' (before, + dative)Temporale Präposition 'vor' (+ Dativ)
- Literary participial constructionsLiterarische Partizipialkonstruktionen
Examples
Lass uns , auf !
Let's order pizza, my treat!