How to Say ‘Do you speak English?’ in German
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
SHPRAY-khen zee ENG-lish
[SHPRAY-khen zee ENG-lish]
💬 Usage Tip: Sie takes the same verb form as sie (they): sprechen, not sprichst. You can reuse that pattern in other polite questions: Kommen Sie?, Verstehen Sie?.
🇩🇪 In Germany: Use Sie with strangers in Germany unless they clearly switch to du first. Asking Sprechen Sie Englisch? is normal and polite in shops, hotels, or offices.
Phrase Breakdown
Sprechen
[SHPRAY-khen]
speak
Sprechen is used to ask someone if they can speak a certain language.
Sie sprechen sehr gut.
You speak very well.
Sie
[zee]
you
Sie is a formal pronoun for addressing one or more people.
Können Sie mir helfen?
Can you help me?
Englisch
[ENG-lish]
English
Referring to the English language in the context of whether someone can speak it.
Kannst du Englisch lesen?
Can you read English?
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