Translate to German:
Where is Teresa?
Wo ist Teresa?
where is = wo ist
The structure Wo ist […] ? is the standard and most natural way to ask “Where is […] ?” in German. It works for both people and objects.
Translate to German:
Where is the restaurant?
Wo befindet sich das Restaurant?
Wo befindet sich […] ? is translated to “Where is […] located?” in English.
You use this expression when talking about the location of buildings, places, or objects in a more official or descriptive way. Also often used in written descriptions (e.g., on signs).
The verb sich befinden (“to be located/situated”) is a reflexive verb. The pronoun sich refers back to the subject (in this case, das Restaurant), but doesn’t carry a literal meaning. It’s simply required by the verb’s structure.
Translate to German:
Where is the bathroom?
Wo ist das Bad?
the bathroom = das Bad
In German, das Bad can mean either “the bath” or “the bathroom”, depending on context.
You can also say das Badezimmer, which literally means “the bathroom” and is a bit more formal, but also commonly used.
Note that if you’re in a public place, like a restaurant or hotel and you want to ask for the “restroom”, you’d say:
Wo ist die Toilette? or Wo ist das WC?
Translate to German:
Like this?
–> No, like this.
So?
–> Nein, so.
like this = so
So can mean “like this” or “this way,” often used to clarify or demonstrate how something should be done.
Like in English, so can describe either manner, as in the example, but also degree, as in so schön (“so nice”). Context tells you which one is meant.
Translate to German:
a street
eine Straße
a street = eine Straße
Cultural Note: In Germany, all street names in signs and addresses end with Straße. E.g., if the street is named “Swan”, the full name would be Schwanenstraße (“Swan Street”). It is common for these compound words to be quite long.
Translate to German:
three blocks from here
i.e. three intersections from here, when traveling in a city
drei Blocks von hier
blocks = Blocks
from here = von hier
The preposition von (“from”) shows distance or origin, and hier means “here.”
Note that Block is borrowed from English and mostly used in spoken German in big cities (like Berlin or Hamburg). In more standard German, people would say drei Straßen (plural) weiter (“three streets further”).
Translate to German:
to the right
nach rechts
to = nach
right = rechts
In German, nach is used to indicate direction towards a place or position, similar to “to” in English.
Translate to German:
to the left
nach links
links (and rechts) function like adverbs (describing where you move), not nouns — that’s why there’s no article before them in German.
Translate to German:
straight ahead
geradeaus
geradeaus is a directional term used to indicate going directly forward, similar to “straight ahead” in English, and is commonly used in giving directions.
Translate to German:
Careful!
Vorsicht!
Vorsicht is a noun, literally meaning “foresight” used to warn someone to be careful or alert, similar to saying “watch out!” in English.
Translate to German:
Let’s go
Los geht’s!
Los geht’s is an informal way to say “Let’s go” and is often used to express enthusiasm or readiness to start something.
You can use it to start an activity, a trip, a game, etc., anywhere you’d say “Let’s go!” in English.
Translate to German:
Help!
Hilfe!
Hilfe! is used as a standalone exclamation for “Help!” in emergencies or urgent situations, similar to English.
It comes from the verb helfen (“to help”) and is a noun, which is why it’s capitalized.
Translate to German:
I have a problem. I need help.
Ich habe ein Problem. Ich brauche Hilfe.
I need = ich brauche
The infinitive of the verb is brauchen and means “to need”.
The ending -e marks the first-person singular ich (“I”).
Translate to German:
the police
die Polizei
The “police officer” would be der Polizist (m.) or die Polizistin (f.).
Translate to German:
a phone / a telephone
ein Telefon
Translate to German:
my cell phone / my mobile phone
mein Handy
Handy is the German word for “mobile phone” or “cell phone”.
Interestingly, it’s a “false friend”. Germans adopted it from English, but English speakers don’t actually use handy to mean “mobile phone”, but “useful”.
Translate to German:
my phone number
meine Telefonnummer
In German, Telefonnummer usually refers to a “landline number”, while Handynummer means “mobile phone number”.
In English, however, phone number can refer to either a landline or a mobile number.
In German to ask for someone´s mobile phone number, you would say Wie ist deine Nummer? (“How is your number?”).
Translate to German:
a text message
eine SMS
SMS is used in German to say “text message.”
It actually comes from the English abbreviation “Short Message Service”.
Today, people often use SMS loosely to mean any text message on a phone, including WhatsApp, iMessage, or other messenger apps, even though true SMS messages are less common now.
Translate to German:
a photo
ein Foto
Translate to German:
a gift
ein Geschenk
Translate to German:
a bus
ein Bus
Translate to German:
a train
ein Zug
train = ein Zug
Note on Trains: Zug is the general German word for “train” (usually regional or long-distance). In major cities, however, the city rail systems have specific names:
- U – Bahn (“Underground Train”) for the subway.
- S – Bahn (“City Train”) for the suburban rail.
Translate to German:
a taxi
ein Taxi
Translate to German:
my passport
mein Reisepass
Reisepass is often shortened in everyday speech to Pass.
