New here? This is lesson 45 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Where is the metro in German
Priya needs the U-Bahn on Fliederstraße. The station is two minutes from Bäckerei Krause, but she does not know that yet.
She asks Renate where it is. Anton points at the bread shelf instead.
By the end, you'll ask where a station, a shop, or a toilet is, and whether it is near or far.
Excuse me comes first. Keep left and right for later.
By the end of this lesson
Ask where a station, a shop, or a toilet is.
- Entschuldigung, wo ist ___?Excuse me, where is ___?
- Wie komme ich zu ___?How do I get to ___?
- Ist es hier in der Nähe?Is it near here?
- Ist es weit von hier?Is it far from here?
- Wo ist die U-Bahn?Where is the U-Bahn?
- Wo ist die Toilette?Where is the toilet?
Scene — two minutes away
Priya stands at the bakery door with her backpack on. She needs the U1 at Görlitzer Bahnhof.
Renate is at the counter. Anton sits at the corner table with his unfinished Milchkaffee. The bread shelf is behind him.
Learn — where is it
Six short lines cover excuse me plus where, how to get there, near or far, the U-Bahn, and the toilet.
You'll fill the blanks with the place you need.
Entschuldigung, wo ist ___?
Excuse me, where is ___?
When to use it: Use this to ask where a place is after saying excuse me.
Learn it as one piece when you stop someone to ask.
Say it: Entschuldigung has sch, like the sh in shop.
Wie komme ich zu ___?
How do I get to ___?
When to use it: Ask this when you need the way to a place.
Learn it as one piece for the way there.
Say it: Komme puts the stress on the first syllable.
Ist es hier in der Nähe?
Is it near here?
When to use it: Ask this to check a place is close by.
Learn it as one piece for near here.
Say it: Nähe uses a long ä, not a plain e.
Ist es weit von hier?
Is it far from here?
When to use it: Ask this to check a place is a long way.
Learn it as one piece for far from here.
Wo ist die U-Bahn?
Where is the U-Bahn?
When to use it: Ask this when you need the metro in Berlin.
Learn it as one piece for the metro.
Say it: In U-Bahn, the stress is on the U, which sounds like oo.
Wo ist die Toilette?
Where is the toilet?
When to use it: Ask this in a café or shop for the toilet.
Learn it as one piece when you need the toilet.
Story — the bread shelf
Watch Priya ask where the U-Bahn is. Anton points at the bread, not the street.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Priya has her backpack on. She looks at Renate.
PriyaEntschuldigung.Excuse me.
RenateJa?Yes?- PriyaWo ist die U-Bahn?Where is the U-Bahn?
- PriyaIst es hier in der Nähe?Is it near here?
- RenateJa, da vorne. Zwei Minuten.Yes, just ahead. Two minutes.
- PriyaIst es weit von hier?Is it far from here?
- RenateNein.No.
- PriyaWie komme ich zu der U-Bahn?How do I get to the U-Bahn?
- RenateZu Fuß sind es nur zwei Minuten.On foot it is only two minutes.
- Anton points at the bread shelf. He does not look at the door.
AntonDas Brot ist hier.The bread is here.- Priya looks at the shelf, then back at Renate.
- PriyaEntschuldigung, wo ist die Toilette?Excuse me, where is the toilet?
- RenateDie Toilette ist hinten.The toilet is at the back.
Practice — near or far
Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.
They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
German
Wo ist ___?Drop the English hereWie komme ich zu ___?Drop the English hereIst es hier in der Nähe?Drop the English hereIst es weit von hier?Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Ask where a place is, and start by saying excuse me.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Is it far from here?
Ist es ____ von hier?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Ist es hier in der Nähe?
True or false?
True or false?
This asks how to get to a place.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to ask where a place is, and you want to start with excuse me.
Build the line
Build the line
Where is the toilet?
?
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You only need a short excuse me, not a where-question.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Ask the short question, 'Where is ___?', without adding excuse me.
Say it — ask at the counter
Now you're Priya at the bakery, looking for the U-Bahn. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.
- RenateGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
- Priya (you)Excuse yourself and ask where a place is.
Excuse yourself and ask where a place is.
Entschuldigung, wo ist ___?
Excuse me, where is ___?
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Entschuldigung, wo ist ___? | Excuse me, where is ___? | |
| Wie komme ich zu ___? | How do I get to ___? | |
| Ist es hier in der Nähe? | Is it near here? | |
| Ist es weit von hier? | Is it far from here? | |
| Wo ist die U-Bahn? | Where is the U-Bahn? | |
| Wo ist die Toilette? | Where is the toilet? |
Save your progress — it’s free
Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these where-questions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps where-is ready for the street.
Open Yak Cards