What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the English loanword Sightseeing and the German verb machen, which means 'to do' or 'to make'.
Which one should you use?
There are several ways to express this idea depending on your focus. You can use the anglicism Sightseeing machen for general sightseeing, or the more traditional German term Stadtbesichtigung for a city tour. If you want to focus on a specific landmark or city, you can use the single verb besichtigen, which means 'to visit' or 'to sightsee'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a simple sentence, the verb machen is conjugated and placed in the second position, while Sightseeing remains an uninflected noun. To express 'while sightseeing' or 'during sightseeing', use the prepositional phrase beim Sightseeing.
Did you know?
- German uses the verb besichtigen for sightseeing, but you cannot use it for visiting people. To visit a friend, you must use besuchen, or you would accidentally imply you are inspecting your friend like a tourist attraction.
- The English word 'make' and the German verb machen both trace their lineage back to the Proto-West Germanic word *makōn, which originally described the physical act of kneading dough.
- While Sightseeing machen is common, the traditional Stadtbesichtigung is a compound noun combining Stadt 'city' and Besichtigung 'inspection'. This gives the act of sightseeing a slightly more formal or systematic tone, like a survey of the city.
Examples in context
- Lass uns heute Sightseeing machen und die Sehenswürdigkeiten der Stadt erkunden!Let's go sightseeing today and explore the city's landmarks!
- Wir wollen in Berlin Sightseeing machen.We want to go sightseeing in Berlin.
- Möchtest du heute Sightseeing machen?Do you want to go sightseeing today?
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are planning their trip to Vienna.
- HannahWann wollen wir in Wien Sightseeing machen?When do we want to go sightseeing in Vienna?
- FelixVielleicht am ersten Tag, Hannah.Maybe on the first day, Hannah.
- HannahSuper, dann können wir viel sehen.Great, then we can see a lot.
- FelixJa, Sightseeing machen ist das Beste!Yes, going sightseeing is the best!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries machen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
