German Phrase
Haben wir uns schon mal gesehen?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the speakers have met or seen each other before. It is a polite, slightly informal way to check if there is a prior acquaintance, often used when you recognize a face but are not sure of the context.
When to use
Use this question when you bump into someone you think you might have met earlier – at a conference, a social event, or even on the street – and you want to confirm the previous encounter without sounding too formal.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Habenwirunsschonmalgesehen?
Present Perfect with 'haben'
In German, the present perfect (Perfekt) of most verbs uses 'haben' as the auxiliary. Here 'haben' is conjugated to match the subject 'wir'.
Reflexive Pronoun 'uns'
The verb 'sehen' can be used reflexively when the speakers are looking at each other. The reflexive pronoun 'uns' matches the plural subject.
Adverbial 'schon mal'
'schon mal' (or 'schon einmal') adds the nuance of 'already' or 'ever' and is common in casual questions about past encounters.
Past Participle 'gesehen'
The past participle of 'sehen' is 'gesehen'. In the Perfekt construction it follows the auxiliary verb.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, haben wir uns schon mal gesehen?
Excuse me, have we met before?
Ich glaube, ja – wir haben uns bei der letzten Team‑Besprechung kurz unterhalten.
I think so – we chatted briefly at the last team meeting.
✕Common Mistakes
Haben wir uns schon mal getroffen?
If you want to emphasize a meeting rather than just seeing, 'getroffen' is more natural.
Haben wir schon mal gesehen?
The reflexive pronoun is required; omitting it makes the sentence ungrammatical.
Haben wir uns schon gesehen?
Using 'schon' alone can sound abrupt; keep the pair 'schon mal' or replace with 'schon einmal'.
↔Alternatives
Haben wir uns schon einmal getroffen?
Have we met before?
Kennen wir uns schon?
Do we already know each other?
Sind wir uns schon begegnet?
Have we already encountered each other?
Cultural Tip
In German small talk, 'schon mal' is a friendly, low‑pressure way to ask about a previous meeting. It sounds more casual than the more formal 'schon einmal' and is preferred in everyday conversation. Avoid using overly formal constructions like 'Haben wir uns bereits gesehen?' unless you are speaking in a very formal setting.