Was willst du?
In German, "what do you want?" is expressed as Was willst du?
This phrase is a direct way to ask someone about their desires or intentions.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Was willst du? is composed of Was (what), willst (want/desire) and du (you).
Which one should you use?
Was willst du? is the informal version. You might use Was möchtest du haben? or Was möchtest du unbedingt haben? (What do you absolutely want?). In formal situations, you should use Was wollen Sie? or Was wünschen Sie?
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal version of the phrase uses the pronoun Sie and the verb form wollen instead of the informal du and willst.
Did you know?
- To soften the bluntness of Was willst du?, Germans often add the particle denn, turning it into Was willst du denn? This makes the question sound more curious and less like an interrogation.
- The pronoun du is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'thou', which was once the standard way to say 'you' in singular informal contexts.
- While 'Was willst du?' is common, using the verb 'wollen' can sometimes sound much more aggressive or demanding in German than 'want' does in English.
Examples in context
- Was wünschen Sie zu essen?What do you want to eat?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
