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How to Say ‘And what are you doing here in Germany?’ in German

Und was machen Sie hier in Deutschland?

oont vahs MAH-khen zee heer in DOYTCH-lahnt

[oont vahs MAH-khen zee heer in DOYTCH-lahnt]

Phrase Breakdown

Und was machen Sie hier

oont vahs MAH-khen zee heer

And what are you doing here

This asks about your purpose, such as work or study. The 'd' in 'Und' sounds like 't'.

Example

Und was machen Sie beruflich?

And what do you do for a living?

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.

was

[vahs]

what

Question word asking for information about an action or task.

Example

Was machen wir nach dem Soundcheck?

What are we doing after the soundcheck?

machen

[MAH-khen]

do / make

Verb 'machen' means 'to do' or 'to make'.

Example

Was machen wir zuerst beim Aufbau?

What do we do first during setup?

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.

in Deutschland?

in DOYTCH-lahnt

in Germany

'eu' sounds like 'oy': DOYTSCH-lant.

Example

Wie lange sind Sie in Deutschland?

How long have you been in Germany?

Words in this phrase

[in]

Expressing the situation of something that is or appears to be enclosed or surrounded by something else.

Example

Das Haus steht in Trümmern.

The house is in ruins.

Deutschland

[DOYTCH-lahnt]

Germany

"Deutschland" is the German word for Germany.

Example

Ich unterstütze Deutschland in der WM 2026.

I support Germany in the 2026 World Cup.

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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