German Phrase
Wann hat das Restaurant auf?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the opening time of a restaurant. It is a colloquial way to say ‘When does the restaurant open?’ and is common in everyday spoken German.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are at a hotel, on the street, or chatting with locals and you need to know the opening hours of a restaurant, especially in informal situations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WannhatdasRestaurantauf?
Wann (question word)
‘Wann’ asks for a point in time, similar to ‘when’ in English.
hat (auxiliary verb haben)
In colloquial German ‘haben’ can be used with ‘auf’ to mean ‘to be open’, e.g., ‘hat … auf’ = ‘is open’.
das Restaurant (noun phrase)
Definite article ‘das’ + neuter noun ‘Restaurant’; the whole phrase is the subject of the sentence.
auf (particle)
When combined with ‘haben’, ‘auf’ functions like the verb ‘öffnen’, meaning ‘to be open’.
🗨In Conversation
Wann hat das Restaurant auf?
When does the restaurant open?
Es öffnet um 18 Uhr, also hat es ab dann auf.
It opens at 6 p.m., so it’s open from then on.
✕Common Mistakes
Wann ist das Restaurant auf?
‘sein’ is not used with ‘auf’ in this construction; you need ‘hat … auf’ or the verb ‘öffnen’.
Wann macht das Restaurant auf?
‘aufmachen’ is a transitive verb meaning ‘to open (something)’, not used for asking about a restaurant’s opening time.
Wann hat das Restaurant geöffnet?
While correct, the sentence structure changes: you would say ‘Wann ist das Restaurant geöffnet?’, not ‘hat … geöffnet’.
↔Alternatives
Um wie viel Uhr öffnet das Restaurant?
At what time does the restaurant open?
Wann öffnet das Restaurant?
When does the restaurant open?
Ab wann ist das Restaurant geöffnet?
From when is the restaurant open?
Cultural Tip
In Germany many restaurants, especially those serving dinner, open around 18:00. If you’re speaking to staff, use the polite ‘Sie’ form: ‘Entschuldigung, wann hat das Restaurant auf?’ Also note that ‘hat … auf’ is informal; in written or formal contexts you’ll more often hear ‘öffnet’.