The most important German phrases and expressions to ask for directions and describe the way to the train station, hotel or any landmark clearly and confidently with translated phrase tables.
How to Ask and Describe the Way in German: Your Complete Guide to Directions
Do you find yourself lost in a German city and looking for a polite way to ask passersby about the way? The skill of asking questions and describing the route (Wegbeschreibung) is a very important verbal and practical skill for moving and traveling. In this article, we will review in detail the golden phrases for asking and describing precisely.
💡 The prepositional rule with the letter zu:When going to a specific place, we use the prepositionzu(which always requires the Dativ case), so we sayzumFor masculine and neuter (zu + dem), we sayzurFor the feminine (zu + der).
1. How to ask for the road politely?
Always start with a polite apology to attract the attention of passers-by, followed by the wording of the question:
For linguistic details, seeThe concept of geographical orientation on Wikipedia Germany.
- Are you interested in who is in the Bahnhof?(Excuse me, how do I get to the train station? - Masculine).
- What do you want from this post?(Excuse me, how do I get to the mail? - Feminine).
- What is this supermarket?(Where is the nearest supermarket?).
- Why is this U-Bahn station in the car?(Is there a subway station nearby?)
2. How would you describe the road to another person (Wegbeschreibung)?
Here are specific sentences and instructions to describe movement and directions:
- Here's what's going on.(Walk straight forward).
- Biegen Sie links / rechts ab.(Turn left/right).
- There are no links on this site.(Take the first street on the left).
- There is a large street on the street.(Cross the bridge/cross the street).
- An der Ampel / An der Kreuzung...(At the traffic light / at the intersection...).
Comparison table of translated question and description phrases
| The phrase is in German |
Meaning in Arabic |
Main use |
| What's wrong with you... |
How do I get to... |
Ask about the destination and route |
| gerades gehen |
Walk straight forward |
Description of continuing in the same direction |
| rechts/links abbiegen |
Turn right/left |
Description of change of direction |
| in the world |
Nearby/near here |
Determine the proximity of the teacher responsible for him |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I say "I'm lost" in German?
You can say: "Ich habe mich verlaufen" (if you're on foot) or "Ich habe mich verfahren" (if you're driving).
What is the difference between zum and zur when asked?
We use zum with masculine and neuter nouns (e.g. zum Bahnhof, zum Hotel), and we use zur with feminine nouns (e.g. zur Bank, zur Post).
How do I describe going around a square or a roundabout?
The roundabout is called Kreisverkehr, and we say: “Nehmen Sie die zweite Ausfahrt im Kreisverkehr” (Take the second exit at the roundabout).
Does Deutsch mit Vienix help with these conversations?
Yes, our application includes a section for street conversations, describing directions, and asking about places to train you in real travel situations with audio and video.
Recommended sources and references
Travel and move with complete confidence
Practice describing the route with Deutsch mit Vienix
The application contains an interactive dialogue simulation with artificial intelligence to play the role of a tourist in German cities and request help via voice.
Download the application now for free