How to Say ‘Is wrong / going on’ in German
Ist los
ist lohs
[ist lohs]
💬 Usage Tip: 'Was ist los?' is a fixed phrase meaning 'What's wrong?' not literally just 'What is loose?' False-friend trap avoided.
🇩🇪 In Germany: A very common question in spoken German when someone is reporting a problem.
Phrase Breakdown
Ist
[ist]
is
Third-person singular of 'sein', meaning 'is'.
Was ist los mit der Heizung?
What is wrong with the heating?
los
[lohs]
going on / wrong
Used in 'Was ist los?' to ask what is happening or what is wrong.
Mit dem Wasser ist etwas los.
Something is wrong with the water.
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