German Phrase
Was machst du draußen am liebsten?
Meaning
Literally, ‘What do you do outside the most?’, i.e., ‘What is your favourite thing to do outdoors?’. The question asks the listener to name the activity they enjoy most when they are outside.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’re chatting with a friend, a language partner, or a new acquaintance about hobbies, weekend plans, or travel. It works well in informal settings and can be a springboard for deeper conversation about sports, nature walks, or cultural events.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wasmachstdudraußenamliebsten?
Was (question word)
Used to ask about something unknown; it triggers a wh‑question and does not change its form.
machst (2nd person singular of machen)
Present‑tense form of the verb machen; the stem is ‘mach‑’ and the ending ‘‑st’ marks ‘du’.
du (personal pronoun)
The informal singular ‘you’; placed after the verb in German questions (verb‑first order).
draußen (adverb of place)
Means ‘outside’; can be used alone or with a prepositional phrase.
am (contraction of an + dem)
Used before a superlative adjective; literally ‘on the’, but functions like English ‘most’.
liebsten (superlative of gern)
The superlative form of ‘gern’; combined with ‘am’ it expresses ‘the most liked/ favorite’. The ending ‑en is required.
🗨In Conversation
Was machst du draußen am liebsten?
What do you like to do outside the most?
Ich fahre am liebsten mit dem Fahrrad im Park.
I most like to ride my bike in the park.
✕Common Mistakes
Was machst du draußen am lieber?
‘am’ must be followed by the superlative form ‘liebsten’; ‘lieber’ is the comparative, not the superlative.
Was du machst draußen am liebsten?
In a wh‑question the verb comes first, so ‘du machst’ is incorrect order.
Was machst du am liebsten?
If you want to ask about a specific place, you can add a preposition, but dropping the adverb entirely changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Was machst du am liebsten im Freien?
What do you like to do outdoors the most?
Was tust du am liebsten draußen?
What do you most enjoy doing outside?
Welches Hobby hast du draußen am liebsten?
Which hobby do you like best outside?
Cultural Tip
Germans love spending time outdoors, especially in the spring and summer. Common activities include Fahrradfahren (cycling), Wandern (hiking), Grillen (barbecuing), and Fußball spielen (playing soccer). When you ask this question, you’ll often get a detailed answer that includes the location (e.g., ‘im Wald’, ‘am See’) because Germans tend to be specific about where they enjoy their hobby.