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How to Say ‘What do you do here?’ in German

Was machen Sie hier?

vas MAH-khen zee heer

[vas MAH-khen zee heer]

Phrase Breakdown

Was machen

vas MAH-khen

What do (you) do

Question word followed by the verb. The 'ch' in 'machen' is a throaty sound, like in Scottish 'loch'.

Example

Was machen wir heute?

What are we doing today?

Words in this phrase

Was

[vas]

what

Question word asking about a thing.

Example

Was machst du?

What are you doing?

machen

[MAH-khen]

Here 'machen' means to do, e.g. what work someone does.

Example

Was machen Sie beruflich?

What do you do for a living?

Sie hier?

zee heer

you here?

'Sie' is the formal 'you' and sounds like 'zee'. 'hier' sounds like 'here'. Let your voice rise for the question.

Example

Sind Sie hier neu?

Are you new here?

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.

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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