German Phrase
Wer ist heute Abend der Gastautor?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the identity of the person who will be acting as the guest author later that evening. It is a straightforward information‑seeking question, often used in media, events, or online platforms where a guest writer contributes a piece.
When to use
Use this question when you want to know who will write a guest article, column, or blog post scheduled for the evening, for example during a newsroom briefing, a podcast planning meeting, or a live‑stream announcement.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WeristheuteAbendderGastautor?
Interrogativpronomen: Wer
‘Wer’ is the interrogative pronoun for asking about a person’s identity; it functions as the subject of the sentence.
Verb ‘sein’ (ist)
‘sein’ is the copular verb ‘to be’; in the present tense third‑person singular it is ‘ist’.
Temporal phrase: heute Abend
‘heute’ (today) + ‘Abend’ (evening) forms a time expression; no article is needed before ‘Abend’ in this adverbial use.
Definite article ‘der’ with a noun
‘der’ is the masculine nominative singular article, matching ‘Gastautor’, which is a masculine noun.
Compound noun: Gastautor
A compound noun formed from ‘Gast’ (guest) and ‘Autor’ (author); it means ‘guest author’.
Question mark
In German, a question ends with a single ‘?’ just like in English.
🗨In Conversation
Wer ist heute Abend der Gastautor?
Who is the guest author this evening?
Das ist Anna Müller, sie schreibt über Nachhaltigkeit.
It’s Anna Müller; she writes about sustainability.
✕Common Mistakes
Wer ist heute Abend ein Gastautor?
Using ‘ein’ changes the meaning to ‘a guest author’ rather than asking for the specific person who is the guest author.
Wer ist heute Abend der Gastautor
Missing the question mark makes the sentence look like a statement rather than a question.
Wer wird heute Abend der Gastautor?
If you want to ask about the future event, you could also use ‘wird’ instead of ‘ist’, but ‘ist’ is correct when the guest author is already known or scheduled.
↔Alternatives
Wer wird heute Abend als Gastautor auftreten?
Who will appear as the guest author this evening?
Welcher Autor ist heute Abend unser Gastautor?
Which author is our guest author this evening?
Kannst du mir sagen, wer heute Abend den Gastbeitrag schreibt?
Can you tell me who is writing the guest contribution this evening?
Cultural Tip
In German media, the term ‘Gastautor’ is common for a writer who contributes a one‑off piece, often bringing a fresh perspective. When addressing a professional setting, keep the tone polite and use the formal ‘Sie’ if you’re speaking to someone you don’t know well. In informal contexts, especially among colleagues, the informal ‘du’ is acceptable.