German Phrase
Was sammelst du?
Meaning
Literally ‘What are you collecting?’. It is used to ask someone about the objects, stamps, coins, figurines, or any other items they are gathering as a hobby.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversation when you want to learn about a person’s hobby or interest. It works well in small‑talk, at a market, or when meeting a new friend who mentions a collection.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wassammelstdu?
Was (interrogative pronoun)
‘Was’ asks for a thing or activity and is placed at the beginning of a yes‑no or wh‑question.
sammeln (verb)
The verb ‘sammeln’ means ‘to collect’. In the present tense, 2nd person singular it becomes ‘sammelst’.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In German main‑clause questions the finite verb occupies the second position, so ‘sammelst’ follows ‘Was’ and precedes the subject ‘du’.
du (personal pronoun)
‘du’ is the informal singular ‘you’. In formal contexts you would use ‘Sie’ and the verb would be ‘sammeln Sie’.
🗨In Conversation
Was sammelst du?
What are you collecting?
Ich sammle Briefmarken aus aller Welt.
I collect stamps from all over the world.
✕Common Mistakes
Was du sammelst?
In a wh‑question the verb must come directly after the interrogative word, not after the subject.
Was du sammelst?
Word order is wrong for a question; it sounds like a statement.
Sammelst du was?
Colloquial but not standard; the correct order is ‘Was sammelst du?’
↔Alternatives
Was sammelst du denn?
So, what are you collecting?
Was sammelst du gerade?
What are you collecting right now?
Was sammelst du alles?
What do you collect (in total)?
Was sammeln Sie?
What are you collecting? (formal)
Cultural Tip
Collecting (Sammeln) is a popular pastime in German‑speaking countries, especially stamps (Briefmarken), coins (Münzen) and vintage toys. When you ask ‘Was sammelst du?’, it’s polite to show genuine interest and maybe follow up with a question about how the hobby started. In formal settings, replace ‘du’ with ‘Sie’ and adjust the verb accordingly: ‘Was sammeln Sie?’.