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German vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "what do you do" in German?

Was machst du?

Phrase

In German, "what do you do" is Was machst du?.

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Pronunciation

Pronounced 'vahs mahkhst doo', with a soft 'kh' sound in the middle, stress on 'mahkhst'.

Grammar notes

"Was machst du?" is a set phrase used as shown in the example below.

Example sentence

what do you do

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How to remember Was machst du?

Machen means 'to make or do', close enough in sound to 'make' that the connection sticks quickly.

Related words

Browse all German words in the glossary.

Questions about Was machst du?

How do you say "what do you do" in German?

In German, "what do you do" is Was machst du?. It's a common phrase.

How is Was machst du? used in a sentence?

Use Was machst du? as you would use the equivalent phrase in English. For example: (what do you do).

Where can I practice German words for free?

You can play free German minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the German glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"What Do You Do" in other languages

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