German Phrase
Mit wem spreche ich?
Meaning
Literally ‘With whom am I speaking?’, this question is used when you need to know the identity of the person you are currently talking to – for example on the phone, in a meeting, or when you walk into a conversation you weren’t expecting.
When to use
Use it right after you pick up a call, when you’re introduced to a group and missed the names, or whenever you need to clarify who you’re speaking with in a polite, neutral way.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mitwemsprecheich
Mit (preposition)
‘Mit’ means ‘with’ and always governs the dative case.
wem (interrogative pronoun)
‘Wem’ is the dative form of ‘wer’ (who). It is used after prepositions like ‘mit’.
spreche (verb conjugation)
First‑person singular present of ‘sprechen’ (to speak). The ending –e matches the subject ‘ich’.
ich (personal pronoun)
The nominative pronoun ‘I’, the subject of the sentence.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, mit wem spreche ich?
Excuse me, with whom am I speaking?
Hier ist Anna, ich bin die Assistentin von Herrn Müller.
This is Anna, I’m Mr. Müller’s assistant.
✕Common Mistakes
Mit wer spreche ich?
‘Wer’ is nominative; after ‘mit’ you need the dative ‘wem’.
Mit wem sprechen ich?
The verb must agree with the subject ‘ich’; use ‘spreche’, not ‘sprechen’.
Mit wem ich spreche?
Word order in a question places the verb before the subject.
↔Alternatives
Wer ist am Apparat?
Who is on the line?
Mit wem habe ich das Vergnügen?
With whom do I have the pleasure?
Kann ich bitte Ihren Namen erfahren?
May I have your name, please?
Cultural Tip
In German business contexts it’s considered courteous to ask for the speaker’s name early, but soften the question with ‘Entschuldigung’ or ‘Bitte’. ‘Mit wem spreche ich?’ is perfectly neutral; for a more informal setting you might hear ‘Wer ist dran?’ (Who’s on the line?). Remember that using the dative ‘wem’ after ‘mit’ is mandatory – using ‘wer’ sounds ungrammatical.