🤔❓

How to Say ‘What do you have in mind?’ in German

Was stellen Sie sich vor?

vas SHTEL-len zee zikh for

[vas SHTEL-len zee zikh for]

💬 Usage Tip: sich vorstellen literally means "to picture to yourself", and the vor jumps to the end. The same verb without sich means "introduce": Ich stelle mich vor "I introduce myself".

Phrase Breakdown

Was stellen

vas SHTEL-len

What do (you) imagine

This is the start of the separable verb 'sich vorstellen' (to imagine or have in mind). Say 'shtel-len'.

Example

Was stellen wir uns vor?

What do we have in mind?

Words in this phrase

Was

[vas]

what

Question word asking about a thing.

Example

Was machst du?

What are you doing?

stellen

[SHTEL-len]

imagine (part of 'sich vorstellen')

Together with 'sich' and 'vor', it means to imagine or have in mind.

Example

Ich stelle mir ein neues Büro vor.

I imagine a new office.

Sie sich vor?

zee zikh for

you have in mind?

'vor' is the separated prefix and goes to the end. In a negotiation, this asks what amount someone expects.

Example

Wie stellen Sie sich das vor?

How do you picture that?

Words in this phrase

Sie

[zee]

you

The formal 'you' used in polite professional conversations.

Example

Ich freue mich, Sie hier auf der Jobmesse zu sehen.

I am pleased to see you here at the job fair.

sich

[zikh]

yourself

Reflexive pronoun; with formal 'Sie' it means 'yourself'.

Example

Stellen Sie sich bitte kurz vor.

Please introduce yourself briefly.

vor

[for]

(separable prefix of 'vorstellen')

Part of 'sich vorstellen', to imagine; moves to the end of the clause.

Example

Ich stelle mir das schön vor.

I imagine that to be nice.

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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