und du?
/ʊnt duː/word by word
The German phrase for "what about you" is und du?
This phrase is used to ask someone for their opinion or information after you have already shared your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "and you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking 'what about you' to a group of people you address informally, use und euch?
How do you pronounce it?
/ʊnt duː/
Did you know?
- German has a specific social ritual called 'Duzen' which is the act of agreeing to move from the formal Sie to the informal du.
- In some German dialects, the question und du? can be shortened to just a pointed und? while nodding, which conveys the same meaning.
- The word du is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. Both descend from the same Proto-Germanic root for the second person singular.
Examples in context
- Ich höre Musik, und du?I'm listening to music. What about you?This sentence shows how to use und du? to ask what someone else is doing.Tatoeba #3749114 by Jens_Odo, translation #10982531 by sundown
- Ich habe Hunger. Und du?I'm hungry. What about you?This sentence demonstrates using und du? to ask about someone else's physical state.Tatoeba #8888966 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2979946 by AlanF_US
- Ich konnte ihn absolut nicht verstehen, und du?I couldn't understand him at all. What about you?This sentence illustrates using und du? to ask for someone's experience regarding understanding someone.Tatoeba #587048 by kroko, translation #664708 by bluepie88
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are talking about their weekend plans.
- HannahIch gehe am Samstag ins Kino. Und du?I am going to the cinema on Saturday. What about you?
- JulianIch bleibe zu Hause und lese ein Buch.I am staying at home and reading a book.
- HannahDas klingt entspannend.That sounds relaxing.
- JulianJa, das ist genau das, was ich brauche.Yes, that is exactly what I need.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (und, du) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, und, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
