How to Say ‘Since when has it been broken?’ in German
Seit wann ist es kaputt?
zite van ist ess kah-PUHT
[zite van ist ess kah-PUHT]
💬 Usage Tip: Great repair question. German word order: time phrase + verb + subject + adjective.
🇩🇪 In Germany: This is a typical landlord/plumber question because urgency can depend on how long the problem has existed.
Phrase Breakdown
Seit
[zite]
since
Used to ask about the starting time of a problem.
Seit wann ist die Dusche kalt?
Since when has the shower been cold?
wann
[van]
when
Question word asking about time.
Seit wann haben Sie kein warmes Wasser?
Since when have you had no hot water?
Ist es kaputt
ist ess kah-PUHT
is it broken
Question about the condition of something; literally 'is it broken'.
Ist der Fernseher kaputt?
Is the TV broken?
Words in this phrase
ist
[ist]
is
A form of sein used here in a question.
Seit wann ist es kalt im Bad?
Since when has it been cold in the bathroom?
es
[ess]
it
Refers to the thing being discussed, such as the hot water system.
Seit wann ist es nicht mehr warm?
Since when has it no longer been warm?
kaputt
[kah-PUHT]
broken
Not working properly; common in repair conversations.
Seit wann ist es kaputt und wer wurde informiert?
Since when has it been broken and who was informed?
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