German Phrase
Mit wem spielst du?
Meaning
Literally ‘With who are you playing?’, this question asks the listener to name the person or people they are playing with. It is informal and used in everyday conversation, especially among friends, family, or when talking to children.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual settings – at school, during a game, or when you want to know a play‑partner. Switch to the formal version ‘Mit wem spielen Sie?’ when speaking to strangers or adults you address with ‘Sie’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mitwemspielstdu?
Mit (preposition)
‘Mit’ always governs the dative case; it means ‘with’.
wem (interrogative pronoun)
‘Wem’ is the dative form of ‘wer’ (who). It is used after prepositions like ‘mit’.
spielst (verb conjugation)
‘Spielst’ is the 2nd‑person singular present tense of ‘spielen’ (to play).
du (personal pronoun)
‘Du’ is the informal singular ‘you’. In questions the pronoun usually follows the verb.
🗨In Conversation
Mit wem spielst du?
Who are you playing with?
Ich spiele mit meiner Schwester.
I’m playing with my sister.
✕Common Mistakes
Mit wer spielst du?
‘Wer’ is nominative; after ‘mit’ you need the dative ‘wem’.
Du spielst mit wem?
Word order in a direct question places the verb before the subject.
Mit wer spielst du?
Again, the preposition ‘mit’ requires dative, not nominative.
↔Alternatives
Mit wem spielst du gerade?
Who are you playing with right now?
Mit wem spielst du heute?
Who are you playing with today?
Wer ist dein Spielpartner?
Who is your playing partner?
Cultural Tip
German distinguishes between informal ‘du’ and formal ‘Sie’. In a question like this, the informal form is common among peers, but if you’re unsure, use the polite version: ‘Mit wem spielen Sie?’. Also, remember that the dative case is mandatory after ‘mit’; using ‘wer’ (nominative) would be grammatically wrong.