German Phrase
Wann kriegen wir den Bericht?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the time at which the speaker and their team will receive the report. It is a straightforward request for a deadline or expected delivery date.
When to use
Use this question in meetings, emails or casual conversations when you need to know when a written document (e.g., a project report, a financial statement) will be handed over. It works well in a collaborative work environment where the tone can stay informal.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WannkriegenwirdenBericht?
Wann (question word)
‘Wann’ asks for a point in time. It always occupies the first position in a yes‑no or wh‑question, pushing the finite verb to second place.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In main clauses the finite verb must be in second position. After ‘Wann’ the verb ‘kriegen’ follows directly.
kriegen (colloquial ‘to get’)
‘kriegen’ is a colloquial synonym of ‘erhalten/bekommen’. It is perfectly natural in spoken German but sounds informal in written business correspondence.
Accusative object – den Bericht
‘Bericht’ is masculine, so the definite article in the accusative case is ‘den’. The object follows the subject ‘wir’.
Subject pronoun – wir
‘wir’ is the first‑person plural pronoun and appears after the verb in this V2 structure.
🗨In Conversation
Wann kriegen wir den Bericht?
When will we get the report?
Wir erhalten ihn voraussichtlich am Freitag.
We expect to receive it on Friday.
✕Common Mistakes
Wann kriegen wir der Bericht?
‘Bericht’ is the direct object, so the accusative article ‘den’ is required, not the nominative ‘der’.
Wann bekommen wir den Bericht?
In a question the verb must stay in second position; ‘bekommen wir’ would place the verb third.
Kriegen wir den Bericht wann?
The question word must stay at the front; moving it to the end breaks the V2 rule.
↔Alternatives
Wann erhalten wir den Bericht?
When will we receive the report?
Bis wann bekommen wir den Bericht?
By when will we get the report?
Wie bald erhalten wir den Bericht?
How soon will we receive the report?
Cultural Tip
‘Kriegen’ is common in everyday German but can sound too casual for formal business letters. In a formal email you would replace it with ‘erhalten’ or ‘bekommen’. Also, German speakers often prefer a precise time frame (e.g., ‘am Freitag’ or ‘bis Ende der Woche’) rather than a vague ‘bald’.