Wo ist der Bahnhof?
The English phrase "where is the train station?" is translated into German as Wo ist der Bahnhof?
This phrase is a question used to ask for the location of the station where trains stop. You can use the word Wo to mean "where."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Wo (where), ist (is) and der Bahnhof (the train station).
Which one should you use?
While der Bahnhof refers to a central train station, if you are looking for a small local stop, you might use die Haltestelle (the stop) depending on the context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the question much more polite when approaching a stranger, you can add Entschuldigung (Excuse me) to the beginning of the phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Bahnhof is a masculine noun, which is why the phrase uses the masculine article der.
When do people say it?
When approaching a stranger to ask this question, it is polite to use Entschuldigen Sie (Excuse me) to initiate the conversation.
Did you know?
- While Bahnhof is the standard term, many German cities have a Hauptbahnhof (main station) which is often one of the largest and busiest railway hubs in Europe.
- The word Bahnhof is a compound of Bahn, meaning 'track' or 'path', and Hof, meaning 'court' or 'yard'.
- If you are looking for a specific platform rather than the building itself, you would ask for the Gleis instead of the Bahnhof.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigen Sie, bitte. Wo ist der Bahnhof?Excuse me, please. Where is the train station?
- Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?Excuse me, where is the train station?
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are walking in a new city and are lost.
- JuliaLukas, wo ist der Bahnhof?Lukas, where is the train station?
- LukasIch glaube, er ist dort vorne.I think it is over there.
- JuliaSiehst du das Gebäude?Do you see the building?
- LukasJa, das muss er sein.Yes, that must be it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bahnhof, der, wo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
