wo bist du?
The English phrase "where are you?" is translated into German as wo bist du?
This phrase is used to ask about a person's current physical location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase wo bist du? is composed of wo (where), bist (are – 2nd person singular) and du (you – informal).
Which one should you use?
While wo bist du? is the informal version, wo sind Sie? is the formal version. Additionally, adding gerade results in the phrase Wo bist du gerade?, which means "Where are you right now?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria and Southern Germany, the informal phrase Wo bist'n du? may be used instead of Wo bist du?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people rather than a single individual, use wo seid ihr? to say "where are you? (plural)".
Did you know?
- While wo bist du? asks for a location, Germans often use the related phrase wo stehst du? to ask where someone is in a process or a sequence of events.
- The word du is a direct historical relative of the archaic English word 'thou'.
- Depending on the region, the sound of wo can shift significantly. In some dialects, the 'o' sound is much more closed or open than in standard German.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigung, wo sind Sie?Excuse me, where are you?
- Wo bist du? Ich bin schon am Bahnhof.Where are you? I am already at the train station.
- Wo bist du? Ich suche dich.Where are you? I am looking for you.
Example conversation
Maximilian is calling Hannah because they are supposed to meet at the park.
- MaximilianHannah, wo bist du?Hannah, where are you?
- HannahIch bin schon im Park.I am already in the park.
- MaximilianIch kann dich nicht sehen.I cannot see you.
- HannahIch stehe direkt am Eingang.I am standing right at the entrance.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bist, du, wo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
