German Phrase
Hast du meinen Radiergummi gesehen?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the listener has seen the speaker’s eraser. It’s a straightforward, informal request for information about a missing object.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’ve misplaced your eraser in a casual setting – a classroom, a study group, a shared office, or at home with friends. The informal ‘du’ makes it appropriate for peers, classmates, or family members.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HastdumeinenRadiergummigesehen?
Verb‑2nd person singular (haben)
‘Hast’ is the 2nd person singular present of ‘haben’, used as the auxiliary verb to form the perfect tense.
Subject pronoun
‘du’ is the informal singular ‘you’, placed after the auxiliary in a yes‑no question.
Accusative case
‘meinen’ is the accusative masculine form of the possessive article ‘mein’, required because ‘Radiergummi’ is a masculine noun and is the direct object.
Noun gender & article
‘Radiergummi’ is masculine (der Radiergummi); in the accusative it stays ‘den Radiergummi’ but the article is replaced by the possessive ‘meinen’.
Past participle
‘gesehen’ is the past participle of ‘sehen’; together with ‘haben’ it forms the perfect tense.
Yes‑no question word order
In German yes‑no questions the finite verb moves to the first position, followed by the subject.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du meinen Radiergummi gesehen?
Have you seen my eraser?
Ja, ich habe ihn auf dem Tisch neben dem Buch gefunden.
Yes, I found it on the table next to the book.
✕Common Mistakes
Hast du mein Radiergummi gesehen?
‘mein’ is nominative; the object is accusative, so you need ‘meinen’.
Hast du meinen Radiergummi gesehn?
The correct past participle is ‘gesehen’; ‘gesehn’ is a colloquial misspelling.
Haben Sie du meinen Radiergummi gesehen?
If you keep the informal ‘du’, you must not use the formal ‘Sie’ verb form ‘haben Sie’.
↔Alternatives
Hast du meinen Radiergummi gefunden?
Did you find my eraser?
Weißt du, wo mein Radiergummi ist?
Do you know where my eraser is?
Kannst du mir sagen, ob du meinen Radiergummi gesehen hast?
Can you tell me if you have seen my eraser?
Cultural Tip
In German schools the word ‘Radiergummi’ is the standard term for a rubber eraser, whereas in Austria you’ll also hear ‘Radiergummi’ and in parts of Switzerland ‘Radiergummi’ or simply ‘Radier’. Many German students now use mechanical pencils with a built‑in eraser, so the object might be a small rubber attached to the pencil rather than a separate block. When speaking to strangers or in a professional setting, switch to the formal ‘Sie’: ‘Haben Sie meinen Radiergummi gesehen?’