German Phrase
Was machst du zuerst?
Meaning
The sentence asks the listener which activity they will begin with. It’s a neutral, everyday question used when you want to know the order of actions in a plan or schedule.
When to use
Use it in casual conversation when arranging a day out, planning a project, or simply curious about someone’s routine. It works both in spoken German and in informal written messages.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wasmachstduzuerst?
Was (interrogative pronoun)
‘Was’ asks for a thing or action and is placed at the beginning of a yes‑no or wh‑question.
machst (verb conjugation)
‘machen’ conjugated for 2nd person singular (du) in present tense: ich mache, du machst, er/sie/es macht.
du (subject pronoun)
In German the subject pronoun follows the verb in main clauses with V2 word order.
zuerst (temporal adverb)
‘zuerst’ means ‘first’ and usually appears at the end of the clause, after the object or pronoun.
🗨In Conversation
Was machst du zuerst?
What do you do first?
Ich gehe zuerst zum Supermarkt und dann ins Fitnessstudio.
I go to the supermarket first, and then to the gym.
✕Common Mistakes
Was du machst zuerst?
In a main clause the verb must stay in second position; the subject follows the verb.
Was machst du erst?
‘erst’ means ‘only’ or ‘not until’; use ‘zuerst’ for ‘first’ in this context.
Was machen du zuerst?
Verb‑subject order is incorrect; it should be ‘machst du’.
↔Alternatives
Was wirst du zuerst machen?
What will you do first?
Was ist das Erste, das du tun wirst?
What is the first thing you will do?
Was machst du als Erstes?
What do you do first?
Cultural Tip
German speakers tend to be direct about order: ‘zuerst’ is the go‑to word for ‘first’, while ‘erst’ can also mean ‘only’ (e.g., ‘Er ist erst 10 Jahre alt’). In formal settings you might hear ‘zunächst’ instead of ‘zuerst’. Remember the V2 rule – the verb stays in second position, so the subject ‘du’ follows the verb, not the other way around.