German Phrase
Hast du einen PC zusammengebaut?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the listener has already assembled a personal computer. It uses the present perfect to refer to a completed action in the past that is relevant to the present moment.
When to use
Use this question when you want to find out if someone has built a PC themselves – for example after a conversation about gaming hardware, a job interview for a tech role, or when you’re planning a joint build and need to know their experience.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HastdueinenPCzusammengebaut?
Verb‑2 (V2) word order
In a main clause the finite verb occupies the second position; in a yes‑no question it moves to the first position.
Auxiliary "haben"
"Hast" is the 2nd‑person singular present of "haben", used to form the perfect tense with most verbs.
Accusative article "einen"
"einen" is the masculine accusative form of the indefinite article, required because "PC" is masculine and the verb takes a direct object.
Separable verb "zusammenbauen"
In the perfect tense the prefix "zusammen-" detaches and moves to the end of the clause as part of the past participle "zusammengebaut".
Question particle "?"
A question mark signals the intonation rise that accompanies the verb‑first order.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du einen PC zusammengebaut?
Did you assemble a PC?
Ja, ich habe ihn letzte Woche zusammengebaut.
Yes, I put it together last week.
✕Common Mistakes
Bist du einen PC zusammengebaut?
The auxiliary for "zusammenbauen" is "haben", not "sein".
Hast du ein PC zusammengebaut?
"PC" is masculine, so the accusative article must be "einen".
Hast du einen PC zusammenbauen?
In the perfect tense you need the past participle "zusammengebaut", not the infinitive.
↔Alternatives
Hast du einen Computer zusammengebaut?
Did you assemble a computer?
Hast du einen PC selbst zusammengebaut?
Did you assemble a PC yourself?
Hast du einen PC gebaut?
Did you build a PC?
Cultural Tip
In German, "PC" (pronounced "pee‑tsee") is the everyday abbreviation for "Personal Computer" and is perfectly acceptable in informal speech. The verb "zusammenbauen" is separable, so remember that in the perfect tense the prefix moves to the end of the clause. Also, German prefers the accusative article "einen" with masculine nouns like "der PC"; using "ein" or "der" would be grammatically wrong in this context.