Asking for directions in German is fairly simple. You just need to learn one or two base phrases and add the thing you’re looking for on the end. If you’re not sure of the German word for the place you’re asking directions after, I recommend downloading the free dictionary app dict.cc.
After you’ve found someone on the street who looks friendly enough to ask, a good way to start a conversation would be to say:
That way you know you’re asking a local, rather than a tourist who doesn’t know the area either.
Meaning: Where is …?
The simplest way to ask for directions is to say wo ist …? and then the place you’re looking for. Obviously it’s quite a basic phrase just like the English version, but it’s a great phrase to start with until you become more confident.
You can make this basic phrase sound more complex by adding wissen Sie (do you know), at the beginning:
If you want to know why the verb ist has moved to the end of the phrase, you can read about subordinate clauses here.
Download your German Sentence Structure Cheat Sheet for just $1 and get your sentences to flow naturally.
Meaning: Where can I find …?
A similar but slightly more wordy way to ask for directions is to ask: wo finde ich …?
Meaning: I’m looking for …
Another variation is to say ich suche … which can be used in the same way as wo ist …?
This also a useful phrase if you’re in a shop and a member of staff has spotted you looking lost and has asked, kann ich Ihnen helfen? (can I help you?)
Meaning: Is there …?
Gibt es…? is a really useful phrase to learn, it’s used in all sorts of situations including when asking for directions. It’s often used with the phrase in der Nähe (nearby).
Meaning: How to I get to …?
If you’re ready for a more sophisticated phrase, try wie komme ich zu …?
In this phrase we’re using the preposition zu (to) which demands the dative case. This is why we say wie komme ich zum (zu dem) Rathaus instead of das Rathaus.
Meaning: Is it far away?
A useful follow up question after someone has answered, could be ‘is it far?’
