German Phrase
Schau es dir alle sechs Monate an.
Meaning
‘Take a look at it every six months.’ The sentence is a friendly command, telling the listener to check something (a document, a device, a health metric, etc.) twice a year.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remind someone to perform a periodic check – for example, a doctor reminding a patient to monitor blood pressure, a manager asking an employee to review a report, or a friend suggesting regular maintenance of a bike.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SchauesdirallesechsMonatean
Imperative of a separable verb
The verb *anschauen* splits in the imperative: the stem *schau* comes first, the separable prefix *an* moves to the end of the clause.
Reflexive dative pronoun
When *anschauen* is used with a personal pronoun, the object that receives the looking is in the dative (*dir* = ‘to you’).
Accusative object
The thing being looked at (*es*) is the direct object and therefore stands in the accusative.
Time expression with *alle*
*Alle sechs Monate* is a regular interval expression; *alle* + numeral + time unit is the standard way to say ‘every …’.
🗨In Conversation
Schau es dir alle sechs Monate an, damit du nichts verpasst.
Take a look at it every six months so you don’t miss anything.
Klar, ich setze mir eine Erinnerung im Kalender.
Sure, I’ll set a reminder in my calendar.
✕Common Mistakes
Schau es dich alle sechs Monate an.
The reflexive pronoun must be dative (*dir*), not accusative (*dich*).
Schau es dir alle sechs Monat an.
The time unit must be plural when used with *alle*.
Schau an es dir alle sechs Monate.
In the imperative the separable prefix stays at the end; do not split it with the object.
Schau es dir alle sechs Monate.
Missing the final *an* makes the sentence incomplete because *anschauen* is separable.
↔Alternatives
Sieh es dir alle sechs Monate an.
Look at it every six months.
Betrachte es alle sechs Monate.
Consider it every six months.
Sieh dir das alle sechs Monate an.
Take a look at that every six months.
Cultural Tip
In German, *schauen* and *sehen* are both used for ‘to look’, but *anschauen* (or its colloquial short form *sich etwas anschauen*) emphasizes a more deliberate, focused act. In informal speech the shorter *sieh* is common, while in formal contexts you might prefer *betrachten* or the polite imperative *schauen Sie … an.* Remember that the separable prefix *an* always goes to the end of the clause in the imperative, which can feel odd to English speakers.