German Phrase
Was nimmst du?
Meaning
Literally, 'What are you taking?'. It is used to ask someone which item they will choose or pick up, for example at a restaurant, a café, a shop, or when sharing food.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal settings with friends, family, or anyone you address with 'du'. It’s perfect when you want to know the listener’s choice before you order, serve, or hand something over.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wasnimmstdu
Was (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about an unknown object or action, equivalent to English 'what'.
nimmst (verb nehmen, 2nd person singular)
Present tense form of 'nehmen' (to take) for 'du'. Note the stem vowel change i → i (no umlaut) and the ending -st.
du (personal pronoun)
Informal second‑person singular pronoun. In questions it normally follows the verb in German word order.
🗨In Conversation
Was nimmst du?
What are you taking?
Ich nehme den Salat.
I’ll take the salad.
✕Common Mistakes
Was nimmt du?
‘nimmt’ is the 3rd‑person singular form (er/sie/es nimmt). For ‘du’ you need ‘nimmst’.
Du nimmst was?
German questions usually place the verb before the subject; the correct order is ‘Was nimmst du?’.
Was nimmst Sie?
If you’re speaking formally, you must conjugate the verb accordingly: ‘Was nehmen Sie?’ not ‘Was nimmst Sie?’.
↔Alternatives
Was möchtest du?
What would you like?
Was willst du?
What do you want?
Was willst du nehmen?
What do you want to take?
Cultural Tip
German distinguishes between informal 'du' and formal 'Sie'. In a restaurant or shop you’ll often be addressed with the polite form: 'Was möchten Sie?' Switching to 'du' signals a casual relationship. Also, Germans tend to be direct with questions, so 'Was nimmst du?' is perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation.