Wind bekommen

You usually use this with the preposition von. The full structure is von etwas Wind bekommen. It works perfectly in the past tense. You might say, 'I got wind of the party.' In German, that is Ich habe von der Party Wind bekommen. It sounds natural and smooth. Use it when you want to show you are 'in the know.' It suggests you have good ears or a great network.

Use it when gossiping with friends about office drama. It is great for surprise parties. If you hear a rumor about a new cafe opening, use it. It fits perfectly in texts when asking for confirmation. 'Did you hear about the move?' becomes a cool inquiry. Use it at work if you heard about a project early. It shows you are attentive to your surroundings. Just don't sound like a spy!

Avoid this if someone told you the news directly. If your boss gives you a formal briefing, don't say you 'got wind' of it. That would sound like you weren't listening or didn't respect the meeting. Don't use it for tragic or very serious news. It feels a bit too lighthearted for a funeral or a crisis. It is a phrase for secrets, surprises, and rumors, not for official announcements.

Germans value privacy, so 'getting wind' of something has a playful edge. It implies you broke through that privacy barrier just a little bit. Historically, it comes from hunting or sailing. Hunters need to stay downwind so the animal doesn't 'get wind' of them. If the animal gets the wind, the secret is out and the hunt is over. It’s a very old, organic way of describing information flow.

You might hear Wind von der Sache bekommen. This just adds 'the thing' to the phrase. Sometimes people say Spitzkriegen. That is much more informal and sounds like you are a bit of a rascal. Another variation is etwas läuten hören. That means you heard the bells ringing but don't know where. Wind bekommen is more confident. You know exactly what is going on.