German Phrase
Geh zum hohen Wolkenkratzer.
Meaning
This command tells someone to go to a specific tall skyscraper. The adjective ‘hohen’ emphasizes the building’s height, making the instruction more vivid.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving directions in a city, especially when pointing out a landmark like a high-rise office tower or a famous skyscraper.
✦Grammar Breakdown
GehzumhohenWolkenkratzer
Imperative (du)
Geh is the informal singular imperative form of gehen (to go).
zu + dem → zum
The preposition zu contracts with the dative article dem, forming zum.
Dative case
After zu, the noun takes the dative case; Wolkenkratzer becomes dem Wolkenkratzer.
Adjective declension (weak)
hohen is the weak dative masculine singular form of hoch, matching dem Wolkenkratzer.
🗨In Conversation
Wo ist das neue Café?
Where is the new café?
Geh zum hohen Wolkenkratzer, dort drüben.
Go to the tall skyscraper, over there.
✕Common Mistakes
Geh zu dem hohen Wolkenkratzer.
In spoken German, zu dem contracts to zum; using the full form sounds unnatural.
Geh zum hoher Wolkenkratzer.
After zum (dative), the adjective must be in the weak dative form ‘hohen’, not the nominative ‘hoher’.
Gehe zu den hohen Wolkenkratzer.
‘den’ is plural dative; the sentence refers to a single building, so use ‘dem’.
↔Alternatives
Gehe zum hohen Hochhaus.
Go to the tall high-rise.
Lauf zum hohen Wolkenkratzer.
Walk to the tall skyscraper.
Mach dich auf zum hohen Wolkenkratzer.
Head over to the tall skyscraper.
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking cities, skyscrapers are often called ‘Wolkenkratzer’ (literally ‘cloud scrapers’) or simply ‘Hochhaus’. When giving directions, using the dative case after ‘zu’ is essential; native speakers will notice a mistake instantly.