Where the doing word sits

A doing word tells you what happens: see, go, be. In a German statement it holds the second slot whatever comes first, and a second doing word waits at the very end of the line.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter

In a German statement the doing word is the second slot — not the second word, the second slot.
Whatever goes first, the doing word comes straight after it and the doer slides in behind.
A second doing word goes to the very end of the sentence and waits there.
German has no word for “do”: no “do you see?”, no “I do not see”.
So read to the end of a German sentence before you decide what it says.

The doing word holds the second slot

Read the English row, then the German row under it. Watch which slot the doing word keeps when something else takes the front.

	slot 1	slot 2	then	then
English	I	see	the dog
German	Ichich“I”	seheZAY-uh“see”	den Hunddayn hoont“the dog”
English	Now	I	see	the dog
German	Jetztyetst“now”	seheZAY-uh“see”	ichich“I”	den Hunddayn hoont“the dog”

In the first pair the languages agree. In the second, English pushed the doing word to third place; German refused — seheZAY-uh held slot two and ichich slid in behind. “Now see I the dog” is the ordinary way to say it, not poetry. (dendayn is “the” too; the next step explains it.)

A second doing word waits at the end

German can send a second doing word to the very end of a sentence. Read the English on the left, then find each piece in the German.

I want to see the dog.

Ichich willvil den Hunddayn hoont sehen.ZAY-en

“I want the dog see”: the second doing word went to the end and waited. And willvil“want” means “want”, never the English “will”.

I do not see the dog.

Ichich seheZAY-uh den Hunddayn hoont nicht.nicht

No “do” at all, and nichtnicht“not” sits late, as the last step promised.

Ask what, who, where and why

These six words open a question. Spotting one tells you a question is coming before you have understood the rest of the line.

English	German
what	wasvass“what”
who	wervair“who”
where	wovoh“where”
where to	wohinvoh-HIN“where to”
why	warumva-ROOM“why”
how	wievee“how”

All six begin with w, said “v”. wovoh asks where something is; wohinvoh-HIN asks where it is going. A question is a question word with the doing word straight behind it — or, with no question word, the doing word itself goes first. Still no “do”.

Where are you going?

Wohin gehst du?

voh-HIN gayst doo

Question word, then gehstgayst“go”, then dudoo“you”. Three words against four, because German has no “do”.

Find the doing word, then read the line

Jetzt sehe ich den Fuchs.
Word by word: “Now see I the fox”.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Jetzt sehe ich den Fuchs.yetst ZAY-uh ich dayn fooks“Now I see the fox.”
Ich will den Baum sehen.
The last word is the second doing word, waiting.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Ich will den Baum sehen.ich vil dayn bowm ZAY-en“I want to see the tree.”
Wo ist mein Hund?
Show answer +Hide answer −
Wo ist mein Hund?voh ist mine hoont“Where is my dog?”

Come back to these chapters whenever you need them.All German chapters ↗