German Phrase
Wie ist deine Kontonummer?
Meaning
Literally, “How is your account number?” In everyday German this is the standard way to ask someone for the digits of their bank account.
When to use
Use this informal question when you need a friend’s or a colleague’s account number for a private transfer. In a business or formal setting you would replace ‘deine’ with the formal ‘Ihre’ and often use the verb ‘lauten’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WieistdeineKontonummer?
Wie (question word)
‘Wie’ asks for a description or identity, similar to ‘what’ or ‘how’ in English.
ist (verb ‘sein’)
Third‑person singular present of ‘sein’; used here to ask for the value of something.
deine (possessive pronoun)
Possessive form of ‘du’; matches the feminine noun ‘Kontonummer’ (die Kontonummer).
Kontonummer (noun)
A compound noun: ‘Konto’ (account) + ‘Nummer’ (number). It is feminine, so the article is ‘die’ and the possessive takes the ending ‘‑e’.
🗨In Conversation
Wie ist deine Kontonummer?
What is your account number?
Sie lautet 12345678.
It is 12345678.
✕Common Mistakes
Wie ist dein Kontonummer?
‘Kontonummer’ is feminine, so the possessive must be ‘deine’, not ‘dein’.
Wie ist Ihre Kontonummer?
In formal contexts Germans prefer ‘lautet’ (Wie lautet Ihre Kontonummer?).
Wie ist deine Konto-Nummer?
Avoid anglicising to ‘Konto-Nummer’; the correct compound is ‘Kontonummer’.
↔Alternatives
Wie lautet deine Kontonummer?
What is your account number?
Könntest du mir deine Kontonummer geben?
Could you give me your account number?
Darf ich deine Kontonummer haben?
May I have your account number?
Cultural Tip
Germans are very protective of personal data. Even in informal contexts, it’s polite to pre‑face the request with a brief explanation (e.g., ‘Ich muss dir Geld überweisen…’). In professional or official communication you should use the formal ‘Wie lautet Ihre Kontonummer?’ and often add a courteous opening like ‘Könnten Sie mir bitte…’.