German Phrase
Welche Sachen brauchen wir?
Meaning
The sentence asks the listener to list the items that are needed by the speaker and their group. It is a neutral, everyday question used when planning, shopping, or preparing for an activity.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are coordinating a group effort – for example, before a trip, a party, or a project – and you need to know what supplies each person should bring.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WelcheSachenbrauchenwir?
Welche (interrogative determiner)
‘Welche’ is used to ask about a specific item or items and must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows; here it matches the plural ‘Sachen’.
Sachen (plural noun)
‘Sachen’ is the plural of ‘die Sache’ (thing, matter) and is always used with the definite article ‘die’ in the plural.
brauchen (verb)
‘brauchen’ means ‘to need’; in the present tense with ‘wir’ the correct form is ‘brauchen’ (1st person plural).
wir (personal pronoun)
‘wir’ means ‘we’; it normally comes after the verb in a question when the verb is not in the first position.
Verb‑second (V2) rule
In German main clauses the finite verb occupies the second position; in a yes‑no or wh‑question the interrogative word takes the first slot, pushing the verb to second.
🗨In Conversation
Welche Sachen brauchen wir für das Picknick?
What things do we need for the picnic?
Wir brauchen Brot, Getränke und eine Decke.
We need bread, drinks, and a blanket.
✕Common Mistakes
Was Sachen brauchen wir?
‘Was’ cannot be combined with a plural noun like ‘Sachen’; use ‘Welche’ or drop the noun entirely.
Welche Sache brauchen wir?
‘Sache’ is singular, so the verb should be ‘braucht’ and the determiner ‘Welche’ would need to be singular ‘Welche’ (which looks the same) but the meaning changes to ‘Which thing…’. For multiple items, keep the plural ‘Sachen’.
Welche Sachen braucht wir?
The verb must agree with the subject ‘wir’; the correct form is ‘brauchen’, not ‘braucht’.
↔Alternatives
Was brauchen wir?
What do we need?
Welche Dinge benötigen wir?
Which items do we require?
Was müssen wir mitnehmen?
What must we take with us?
Cultural Tip
German speakers often prefer concise, direct questions. ‘Sachen’ is informal and works well in casual conversation; in more formal contexts you might choose ‘Dinge’ or ‘Gegenstände’. Also, remember that the verb stays in the second position even after a wh‑word, which can feel unusual to English speakers.