German Phrase
Reist du allein?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the listener is traveling without companions. It can be used when you’re planning a trip together, meeting at the airport, or simply curious about someone’s travel style.
When to use
Use this question when you want to know if someone is traveling solo – for example, at a travel agency, when arranging a shared ride, or in casual conversation about holiday plans.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Reistduallein?
Verb conjugation (reisen)
‘Reist’ is the 2nd person singular present tense of the regular verb ‘reisen’ (to travel).
Personal pronoun ‘du’
‘du’ is the informal singular ‘you’; it triggers the verb ending –st.
Adverb ‘allein’
‘allein’ means ‘alone’ and is used as an adverb here; the form ‘alleine’ is not standard in this question.
Word order in yes‑no questions
German yes‑no questions place the verb first, followed by the subject and then any adverbial.
🗨In Conversation
Reist du allein?
Are you traveling alone?
Ja, ich reise allein. Und du?
Yes, I’m traveling alone. And you?
✕Common Mistakes
Ist du allein?
‘sein’ (to be) is the wrong verb; you need the action verb ‘reisen’.
Reist du alleine?
‘alleine’ is not standard in this construction; use ‘allein’.
Reist du allein
Missing the question mark or intonation can make it sound like a statement.
↔Alternatives
Bist du allein unterwegs?
Are you alone on the road?
Reist du solo?
Are you traveling solo?
Fährst du allein?
Are you going alone? (by vehicle)
Cultural Tip
‘Du’ is informal; only use it with people you know well or when the conversation has already shifted to the ‘du‑Form’. In formal contexts (e.g., with a travel agent you don’t know), you would ask “Reisen Sie allein?”. Also, Germans often prefer the concise ‘Reist du allein?’ over longer constructions, especially in spoken language.