German Phrase
Siehst du das hohe Gebäude von hier aus?
Meaning
The speaker asks whether the listener can see the tall building from the current spot. It implies a visual line of sight and often a slight distance between the speaker and the building.
When to use
Use this question when you are standing somewhere and want to confirm if a landmark (e.g., a skyscraper, a church tower) is visible from that point. It’s common in city tours, real‑estate viewings, or casual conversation about the cityscape.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SiehstdudashoheGebäudevonhieraus
Verb second‑person singular (Siehst)
‘Siehst’ is the present‑tense form of sehen for ‘du’. In yes/no questions the verb moves to the first position.
Pronoun ‘du’
The informal singular pronoun follows the verb in a question, keeping the V‑S‑O order.
Definite article ‘das’ (Accusative)
‘Gebäude’ is neuter; in the accusative the article stays ‘das’.
Adjective ending ‘hohe’ (weak declension)
After a definite article the adjective takes the weak ending ‘‑e’ in the accusative singular.
Prepositional phrase ‘von hier aus’
‘von’ + dative ‘hier’ + ‘aus’ expresses the point of view ‘from here’. It is a fixed phrase in German.
🗨In Conversation
Siehst du das hohe Gebäude von hier aus?
Do you see the tall building from here?
Ja, ich kann es gut sehen. Es steht direkt hinter dem Park.
Yes, I can see it well. It’s right behind the park.
✕Common Mistakes
Siehst du du das hohen Gebäude von hier aus?
After the definite article ‘das’, the adjective takes the weak ending ‘‑e’, not ‘‑en’. ‘Hohen’ is used with indefinite articles or no article.
Siehst du das hohe Gebäude von hier?
The idiomatic phrase is ‘von hier aus’; dropping ‘aus’ sounds incomplete.
siehst du das hohe Gebäude von hier aus?
The verb must be capitalised at the start of a sentence in written German.
↔Alternatives
Kannst du das hohe Gebäude von hier aus sehen?
Can you see the tall building from here?
Siehst du das hohe Bauwerk von hier?
Do you see the tall structure from here?
Ist das hohe Gebäude von hier aus sichtbar?
Is the tall building visible from here?
Cultural Tip
In German, ‘von hier aus’ is the standard way to talk about a viewpoint. It is more idiomatic than a literal ‘aus hier’. Also, remember that adjectives after a definite article take the weak ending ‘‑e’ (hohe), not the strong ‘‑es’ you would use without an article (hohes).