🇩🇪 GermanA1–A2

How to Ask for Directions in German

This page focuses on the most useful German you need when you are lost or looking for a specific place. You will learn how to get someone’s attention, ask where something is, follow short direction words like geradeaus, links, and rechts, and ask someone to repeat themselves if you did not catch the route the first time.

Useful in real conversations

Essential German phrases

Getting attention and asking where a place is

Useful phrases for starting the conversation and asking for a location.

Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?
Excuse me, can you help me?
Entschuldigung.
Excuse me.
Wo ist [place]?
Where is [place]?
Können Sie mir bitte sagen, wo [place] ist?
Could you please tell me where [place] is?
Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?
How do I get to the station?

Common route directions

Short instructions you may hear when someone explains how to get somewhere.

Gehen Sie geradeaus.
Go straight ahead.
Biegen Sie dann links ab.
Then turn left.
Biegen Sie dann rechts ab.
Then turn right.
Gehen Sie bis zur nächsten Kreuzung.
Go to the next intersection.
Es ist auf der linken Seite.
It's on the left side.
Es ist auf der rechten Seite.
It's on the right side.

Clarifying what you heard

Phrases for when the directions were too fast, unclear, or hard to follow.

Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Could you repeat that, please?
Sprechen Sie bitte langsamer.
Please speak more slowly.
Meinen Sie die nächste Straße?
Do you mean the next street?
Ist es weit von hier?
Is it far from here?
Ich habe es nicht ganz verstanden.
I didn't quite understand it.

Thanking and closing

Friendly ways to thank the person and end the exchange.

Danke für die Hilfe.
Thanks for the help.
Vielen Dank!
Thank you very much!
Das ist sehr nett von Ihnen.
That's very kind of you.
Vielen Dank, das hilft mir sehr.
Thank you very much, that helps me a lot.

Example conversations

Finding a bakery on the street

You stop someone on the street to ask how to get to a nearby bakery.

You
Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?
Excuse me, can you help me?
Other person
Ja, gern. Was suchen Sie?
Yes, sure. What are you looking for?
You
Wo ist die Bäckerei?
Where is the bakery?
Other person
Gehen Sie geradeaus bis zur nächsten Kreuzung. Biegen Sie dann links ab. Es ist auf der linken Seite.
Go straight to the next intersection. Then turn left. It's on the left side.
You
Vielen Dank, das hilft mir sehr.
Thank you very much, that helps me a lot.
Other person
Gern.
You're welcome.

Asking for the station and checking the route

You ask how to get to the station, then ask for the route to be repeated more slowly.

You
Entschuldigung, wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?
Excuse me, how do I get to the station?
Other person
Gehen Sie geradeaus bis zur nächsten Kreuzung. Biegen Sie dann rechts ab.
Go straight to the next intersection. Then turn right.
You
Meinen Sie die nächste Straße?
Do you mean the next street?
Other person
Ja, genau. Es ist auf der rechten Seite.
Yes, exactly. It's on the right side.
You
Sprechen Sie bitte langsamer.
Please speak more slowly.
Other person
Natürlich. Gehen Sie geradeaus bis zur nächsten Kreuzung. Biegen Sie dann rechts ab.
Of course. Go straight to the next intersection. Then turn right.
You
Vielen Dank!
Thank you very much!

A few things to know

polite by default

Use the polite Sie-form with strangers, people on the street, and anyone helping you with directions. The phrases here are the safe default for Germany; informal du forms are intentionally left out.

grammar

zum and zur in destination phrases

German often uses zu + dative to show a destination. In 'Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?' and 'Gehen Sie bis zur nächsten Kreuzung.', zum = zu dem and zur = zu der. This is a very common pattern for places and route targets.

grammar

Separable verbs in direction commands

In 'Biegen Sie dann links ab.' the verb is abbiegen. In commands and other finite clauses, the prefix ab moves to the end. You will hear the same pattern with other separable verbs in German.

Keep building your everyday vocabulary

German Introductions: Essential PhrasesGerman phrases for greeting someone, introducing yourself, asking basic questions, and ending a first conversation politely.German Restaurant and Café PhrasesGerman phrases for getting a table, ordering, checking ingredients, paying, and leaving politely in a restaurant or café in Germany.German Hotel and Accommodation PhrasesEssential German for hotel check-in, room questions, problem reports, and checkout in Germany.Essential German Shopping PhrasesEveryday shopping phrases in German for finding items, asking about price, size, and colour, trying things on, paying, and handling a simple exchange or return.German Public Transport PhrasesGerman phrases for getting around on buses and trains in Germany: finding the right service, buying a ticket, checking times and stops, making a transfer, and dealing with delays or confusion.

Put the phrases in context