German · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 14
Wo ist die Toilette?Where is the toilet?
To ask about a place, German uses "wo" + "sein": Wo ist die Toilette? — Da drüben. The verb "ist" is in position 2 — not at the end (not "Wo die Toilette ist?"). You answer with place words: dort, da drüben, auf, unter, neben, bei, and nah/weit. Die Katze ist auf dem Tisch. (The "dem" is a dative preview — you learn the full case in Book 3.) New vocabulary: wo, dort, da drüben, die Toilette, auf, unter, neben, nah, weit, bei.
Dialogue
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Wo das Verb steht— Where the verb goes
- MikeLukas, wo die Toilette ist?Lukas, where's the toilet? (slip: in a w-question the verb is in position 2 — say "Wo IST die Toilette?")
- LukasDas Verb auf Position 2: Wo ist die Toilette?The verb in position 2: Wo ist die Toilette?
- MikeAh. Wo ist die Toilette?Ah. Where's the toilet?
- LukasSie ist da drüben, neben der Tür.It's over there, next to the door.
Dialogue
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Wo ist die Katze?— Where's the Cat?
- LenaLukas, wo ist die Katze?Lukas, where's the cat?
- LukasSie ist auf dem Tisch. Und der Hund ist unter dem Stuhl.It's on the table. And the dog is under the chair.
- LenaUnd meine Tasche? Ist sie nah?And my bag? Is it near?
- LukasJa, sie ist hier, neben dem Stuhl.Yes, it's here, next to the chair.
Vocabulary
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- wo
adverbwhere
- dort
adverbthere
- da drüben
phr.over there
- die Toilette
n.f.toilet (f)
- auf
prepositionon
- unter
prepositionunder
- neben
prepositionnext to
- nah
adjectivenear
- weit
adjectivefar
- bei
prepositionat, near
Grammar
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"wo" + location (verb in position 2)
Explanation
Good news: for location German — like English — stays with "sein". Wo ist die Toilette? — Sie ist da drüben. The key is the WORD ORDER: in a w-question the verb is in position 2, right after the question word: "Wo IST die Toilette?", not "Wo die Toilette ist?". You answer with place words: dort, da drüben, or auf/unter/neben/bei + noun. Die Katze ist auf dem Tisch. Der Hund ist unter dem Stuhl. (The "dem" already shows the dative — don't worry, you learn the full case later.) And "nah"/"weit" tell the distance: Mein Haus ist nah, nicht weit.
Examples
- Wo ist die Toilette? — Sie ist da drüben.Where's the toilet? — It's over there.
- Die Katze ist auf dem Tisch.The cat is on the table.
- Der Hund ist unter dem Stuhl.The dog is under the chair.
- Mein Haus ist nah, nicht weit.My house is near, not far.
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