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German Phrase

Hast du die Pflanzen gegossen?

/hast duː diː ˈpflan͡tsən ɡəˈɡɔsn̩/
Meaning"Did you water the plants?"
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Meaning

The sentence asks whether someone has already watered the plants. It is a straightforward yes‑no question that checks on a recent chore, often used in households or garden settings.

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When to use

Use this phrase after you expect the plants to have been watered – for example, when you come home and notice the soil is dry, or when you’re reminding a roommate about a shared responsibility.

✦Grammar Breakdown

HastdudiePflanzengegossen?

1

Perfect tense with 'haben'

In the perfect tense, German uses the auxiliary verb 'haben' (or 'sein') plus the past participle. Here 'hast' is the 2nd person singular of 'haben' and 'gegossen' is the past participle of 'gießen'.

2

Verb‑first in yes/no questions

For a yes/no question, the conjugated auxiliary verb moves to the first position, followed by the subject.

3

Accusative plural article

'die' is the definite article for plural nouns in the accusative case, which is required because the plants are the direct object of the verb.

4

Irregular past participle of 'gießen'

Although many regular verbs form the participle with 'ge‑stem‑t', 'gießen' is irregular: the stem vowel changes and the participle is 'gegossen'.

🗨In Conversation

A

Hast du die Pflanzen gegossen?

Did you water the plants?

Ja, ich habe sie gerade erst gegossen.

Yes, I just watered them.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Hast du die Pflanzen gegiessen?

    The past participle of 'gießen' is spelled with a double 's' (gegossen), not with 'ss' after the 'e'.

  • Du hast die Pflanzen gegossen?

    In a yes/no question the conjugated verb must be first; 'du hast' is the statement order.

  • Hast du die Pflanzen gießen?

    This is present tense. To ask about a completed action you need the perfect tense.

↔Alternatives

  • Hast du die Pflanzen bewässert?

    Did you irrigate the plants?

  • Hast du die Pflanzen schon gegossen?

    Have you already watered the plants?

  • Hast du die Pflanzen heute gegossen?

    Did you water the plants today?

de

Cultural Tip

In German, 'gießen' is the everyday verb for watering houseplants or garden beds, while 'bewässern' sounds more technical and is used in agriculture or landscaping. When asking about chores, keep the tone friendly – a simple 'Hast du...' is polite but informal enough for family and roommates.