German - Basic Location

Lesson 15 of 158

A learner asking for directions in German near a map — Basic Location phrases for German learners.

Goal: Ask and say where people and things are

Free German lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! In this short lesson you'll practice simple German questions and answers to find people and things. Keep it playful — locations are perfect for quick wins.

Level A1: Practice common location phrases like questions (Wo ist...? / Wo sind...?), asking if something is nearby, and short answers (Es ist hier., Es ist da drüben., Es ist in ...). This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson focuses on asking where things are, saying where they are, and pointing to nearby places.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Understand and use basic location questions and answers (Wo ist ___? / Wo sind ___?).
  • Ask whether something is nearby and say simple locations (Es ist hier. / Es ist in ___.).
  • Practice speaking and listening with short, usable phrases at A1 level.
Two people in a cafe asking where a lost item is — practicing simple German location questions.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Wo ist ___?

Where is ___?

Meaning: Where is ___?

When to use: Use to ask the location of a single person or thing.

Tip: Don't use this form for plural; learners sometimes say 'Wo ist die Leute?' instead of 'Wo sind die Leute?'

Wo ist die Toilette?
Where is the restroom?
Wo ist mein Schlüssel?
Where is my key?

Wo sind ___?

Where are ___?

Meaning: Where are ___?

When to use: Use to ask the location of multiple people or things (plural).

Wo sind meine Freunde?
Where are my friends?
Wo sind die Tassen?
Where are the cups?

Ist ___ hier?

Is ___ here?

Meaning: Is ___ here?

When to use: Ask if a single person or thing is in the current place. (For plural use: Sind ___ hier?)

Ist Anna hier?
Is Anna here?
Ist das Paket hier?
Is the package here?

___ ist hier.

___ is here.

Meaning: ___ is here.

When to use: Say that a single person or thing is in the current place. (For plural: ___ sind hier.)

Der Lehrer ist hier.
The teacher is here.
Mein Buch ist hier.
My book is here.

___ ist nicht hier.

___ is not here.

Meaning: ___ is not here.

When to use: Say a person or thing is not in the current place. (For plural: ___ sind nicht hier.)

Peter ist nicht hier.
Peter is not here.
Das Paket ist nicht hier.
The package is not here.

Es ist hier.

It's here.

Meaning: It’s here.

When to use: Use when pointing to something that is nearby.

Es ist hier.
It's here.
Hier ist es.
Here it is.

Es ist da drüben.

It's over there.

Meaning: It’s over there.

When to use: Point to a location away from the speaker, not right next to you.

Es ist da drüben.
It's over there.
Der Laden ist da drüben.
The shop is over there.

Es ist in ___.

It's in ___.

Meaning: It’s in ___.

When to use: Give a simple location using 'in' plus a place or container (remember the dative: in der Tasche, im Zimmer).

Tip: Remember to use the dative after 'in' when you refer to locations with an article (in der Tasche, im Zimmer).

Es ist in der Tasche.
It's in the bag.
Das Buch ist in der Schublade.
The book is in the drawer.

Es ist neben ___.

It's next to ___.

Meaning: It’s next to ___.

When to use: Say a thing is beside another object (use dative after 'neben': neben dem Tisch).

Es ist neben der Tür.
It's next to the door.
Das Glas ist neben der Flasche.
The glass is next to the bottle.

Wo bist du?

Where are you?

Meaning: Where are you?

When to use: Use informally to ask where the listener is (formal: Wo sind Sie?).

Tip: Don't mix informal 'du' with formal verb forms; use 'Wo sind Sie?' for formal situations.

Hallo David, wo bist du?
Hi David, where are you?
Ich bin in der Schule. Wo bist du?
I'm at school. Where are you?

Ist ___ hier in der Nähe?

Is ___ near here?

Meaning: Is ___ near here?

When to use: Ask if a place or thing is nearby (for plural: Sind ___ hier in der Nähe?).

Ist eine Apotheke hier in der Nähe?
Is there a pharmacy near here?
Ist die Haltestelle hier in der Nähe?
Is the stop near here?

___ ist hier in der Nähe.

___ is near here.

Meaning: ___ is near here.

When to use: Say that a place or thing is close to the current location.

Die Bank ist hier in der Nähe.
The bank is near here.
Ein Park ist hier in der Nähe.
A park is near here.

___ ist auf ___.

___ is on ___.

Meaning: ___ is on ___.

When to use: Say where something is using 'auf' + place (use dative: auf dem Tisch). For plural: ___ sind auf ___.

Das Buch ist auf dem Tisch.
The book is on the table.
Die Teller sind auf dem Regal.
The plates are on the shelf.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Looking for a lost bag in a cafe

Anna and David look for a bag and use short German location phrases.

Where is the bag at the end of the conversation?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Wo ist meine Tasche?

Where is my bag?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Ist die Tasche hier?

Is the bag here?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Nein, die Tasche ist nicht hier.

No, the bag is not here.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Schau — es ist da drüben. Es ist auf dem Stuhl.

Look — it's over there. It's on the chair.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Super! Die Tasche ist hier in der Nähe.

Great! The bag is near here.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which German sentence means 'Where are you?' (informal)

Which sentence asks 'Is the bank near here?'

Which sentence translates to 'It's over there.'?

Which sentence uses 'auf' correctly to say 'The book is on the table'?

Anna asks 'Wo ist das Museum?' which means 'Where is the museum?'

Anna wants to know where the museum is. She asks: ___

You ask 'Ist eine Bäckerei hier in der Nähe?' meaning 'Is there a bakery near here?'

You look for a nearby bakery and ask the clerk: ___

You say 'Es ist neben der Lampe.' meaning 'It's next to the lamp.'

Your friend points to the shelf and says the book is next to the lamp. You tell someone: ___

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Wo ist ___?

Where is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Wo sind ___?

Where are ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ist ___ hier?

Is ___ here?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist hier.

___ is here.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist nicht hier.

___ is not here.

Say this phrase out loud:

Es ist hier.

It's here.

Say this phrase out loud:

Es ist da drüben.

It's over there.

Say this phrase out loud:

Es ist in ___.

It's in ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Es ist neben ___.

It's next to ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Wo bist du?

Where are you?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ist ___ hier in der Nähe?

Is ___ near here?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist hier in der Nähe.

___ is near here.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ ist auf ___.

___ is on ___.