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How to Say ‘Where did you buy that?’ in German

Wo haben Sie das gekauft?

voh hah-ben zee dahs geh-KOWFT

[voh hah-ben zee dahs geh-KOWFT]

💬 Usage Tip: In past sentences, haben sits second and the ge- form goes to the very end: Wo haben Sie das gekauft?. Same with Wo haben Sie das gefunden? "Where did you find that?"

🇩🇪 In Germany: Following a compliment with this question is a natural, friendly move in Germany, and people are usually happy to tell you.

Phrase Breakdown

Wo haben Sie

voh hah-ben zee

Where have you

'Wo' means 'where' and sounds like 'voh'. The verb 'haben' comes before 'Sie' because this is a question.

Example

Wo haben Sie gewohnt?

Where did you live?

Words in this phrase

[voh]

where

A question word used to ask about place or position.

Example

Wo ist der Bahnhof?

Where is the train station?

haben

[hah-ben]

have

To possess or hold something.

Example

Ich habe ein Buch.

I have a book.

Sie

[zee]

you (formal)

Formal second person pronoun.

Example

Können Sie mir zeigen?

Can you show me?

das gekauft?

dahs geh-KOWFT

bought that?

'gekauft' is the past participle of 'kaufen' (to buy). It goes at the end of the sentence. Say it 'ge-KOWFT'.

Example

Ich habe Brot gekauft.

I bought bread.

Words in this phrase

das

[dahs]

that / it

Can refer to a thing, item, or dish in front of you.

Example

Was ist das? Das Wort das can mean that or it.

What is that? The word das can mean that or it.

gekauft

[geh-KOWFT]

bought

Past participle of the verb 'to buy'.

Example

Ich habe ein neues Auto gekauft.

I bought a new car.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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