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How to Say ‘What should it say?’ in German

Was soll denn draufstehen?

vahs zoll DROWF-shtay-en

[vahs zoll DROWF-shtay-en]

💬 Usage Tip: draufstehen is literally "stand on it". Germans say writing "stands" somewhere: Was steht da? "What does it say?"

Phrase Breakdown

Was soll denn

vahs zoll

What should (then)

'Denn' makes the question sound interested and friendly. Say it as 'vas zoll den'.

Example

Was soll denn das?

What's that supposed to be?

Words in this phrase

Was

[vahs]

what

Question word asking for information about an action or task.

Example

Was machen wir nach dem Soundcheck?

What are we doing after the soundcheck?

soll

[zoll]

should

Form of 'sollen', expressing what is wanted or expected.

Example

Was soll ich bestellen?

What should I order?

denn

draufstehen?

DROWF-shtay-en

be written on it?

This is colloquial for 'darauf stehen' (to be written on it). Stress 'DRAUF'.

Example

Was soll auf der Torte draufstehen?

What should be written on the cake?

Words in this phrase

draufstehen

[DROWF-shtay-en]

to be written on it

Colloquial verb: to stand/be written on top of something.

Example

Auf der Torte soll ihr Name draufstehen.

Her name should be written on the cake.

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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