❓🩺

How to Say ‘What seems to be the problem?’ in German

Was fehlt Ihnen denn?

vas faylt EE-nen den

[vas faylt EE-nen den]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally "what is missing to you?": fehlen here means "to be wrong with", and the person goes in the Ihnen form. The little denn just softens the question and doesn't translate.

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is the classic opening line from a German doctor. Answer by naming the body part and how long it's been going on.

Phrase Breakdown

Was fehlt

vas faylt

What is wrong

'fehlen' literally means 'to be missing', but doctors use it to ask what the problem is. Say 'vahs failt'.

Example

Was fehlt dir?

What's wrong with you?

Words in this phrase

Was

[vas]

what

Question word asking about a thing.

Example

Was machst du?

What are you doing?

fehlt

[faylt]

is wrong (with you)

From 'fehlen'; 'Was fehlt Ihnen?' is the doctor's way to ask what your problem is.

Example

Was fehlt dir heute?

What's wrong with you today?

Ihnen denn?

EE-nen den

with you, then?

'Ihnen' is the formal dative 'you', said 'EE-nen'. 'denn' is a softening particle that makes the question sound friendly.

Example

Wie geht es Ihnen denn?

So how are you?

Words in this phrase

Ihnen

[EE-nen]

you (formal, dative)

The formal 'you' in the dative case, used in polite professional situations.

Example

Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage zur Kultur im Unternehmen stellen?

May I ask you a question about the culture in the company?

denn

[den]

then (filler)

Particle that makes questions sound more natural or show interest.

Example

Wo bist du denn?

Where are you, then?

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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