SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Lost In The City

German Phrase

Welches Denkmal meinst du?

/ˈvɛlçəs ˈdɛŋkmaːl ˈmaɪ̯nst duː/
Meaning"Which monument are you referring to?"
💡

Meaning

The sentence asks the listener to specify which monument they are talking about. It is a direct, informal question that presumes both speakers know there are several monuments in the context.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase when you are touring a city, discussing history, or planning a visit and you need clarification about a particular monument that has just been mentioned.

✦Grammar Breakdown

WelchesDenkmalmeinstdu

1

Welches (Interrogative Pronoun)

‘Welches’ is the neuter nominative form of the interrogative pronoun ‘welch-’, used to ask about a specific thing when the noun is neuter.

2

Denkmal (Neuter Noun)

‘Denkmal’ is a neuter noun (das Denkmal) meaning ‘monument’ or ‘memorial’. In the nominative case it stays ‘Denkmal’.

3

meinst (Verb ‘meinen’)

‘meinst’ is the 2nd‑person singular present tense of ‘meinen’ – ‘to think/mean/mean by’. Here it means ‘to refer to’.

4

du (Personal Pronoun)

‘du’ is the informal singular pronoun, placed after the verb in a question for emphasis or casual speech.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich möchte das neue Denkmal sehen.

I want to see the new monument.

Welches Denkmal meinst du?

Which monument are you referring to?

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Welcher Denkmal meinst du?

    ‘Denkmal’ is neuter, so the correct interrogative form is ‘Welches’, not ‘Welcher’.

  • Welches Denkmal meint du?

    The verb must agree with the subject ‘du’; the correct form is ‘meinst du’.

  • Welches Denkmal du meinst?

    In a direct question the verb precedes the subject, so ‘meinst du’ is required.

↔Alternatives

  • Auf welches Denkmal beziehst du dich?

    Which monument are you referring to?

  • Welches Denkmal hast du im Kopf?

    Which monument do you have in mind?

  • Welches Denkmal meinst du genau?

    Which monument exactly do you mean?

de

Cultural Tip

In Germany, ‘Denkmal’ can refer to anything from historic war memorials to modern art installations. When asking about a monument, it’s polite to use the informal ‘du’ only if you already know the person well; otherwise switch to the formal ‘Sie’: ‘Welches Denkmal meinen Sie?’