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How to Say ‘And why are you working here now?’ in German

Und warum arbeiten Sie jetzt hier?

oont vah-ROOM AR-bye-ten zee yetst heer

[oont vah-ROOM AR-bye-ten zee yetst heer]

💬 Usage Tip: German has no separate "are working" form: arbeiten Sie covers both "do you work" and "are you working".

Phrase Breakdown

Und warum

oont vah-ROOM

And why

'warum' means 'why' and is stressed on the second syllable: 'va-RUM'. The 'd' in 'und' sounds like a 't'.

Example

Und warum nicht?

And why not?

Words in this phrase

Und

[oont]

and

A conjunction used to connect sentences or elements in a sentence.

Example

Und ich freue mich.

And I am happy.

warum

[vah-ROOM]

why

Question word asking for a reason.

Example

Warum lernen Sie Deutsch?

Why are you learning German?

arbeiten Sie jetzt hier?

AR-bye-ten zee yetst heer

do you work here now?

In questions, the verb comes before 'Sie'. 'jetzt' sounds like 'yetst'.

Example

Arbeiten Sie jetzt in Berlin?

Do you work in Berlin now?

Words in this phrase

arbeiten

[AR-bye-ten]

to work

Verb meaning to perform job tasks or labor.

Example

Allein arbeiten kann sehr konzentriert sein.

Working alone can be very focused.

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.

jetzt

[yetst]

now

At the present time.

Example

Ich gehe jetzt.

I'm going now.

hier

[heer]

here

Refers to this place, such as the current event or location.

Example

Es ist gut, hier neue Leute kennenzulernen.

It is good to meet new people here.

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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