German Phrase
Wie alt sind diese Geräte?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the age of a group of devices, i.e., how many years they have been in use or when they were manufactured. It is a neutral, factual question about objects, not about people.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are in a store, an office, or a workshop and you need to know the age of the equipment you are looking at – for example before buying, before maintenance, or when comparing models.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WiealtsinddieseGeräte?
Wie (question word)
‘Wie’ introduces a ‘how‑' question and occupies the first position in the sentence.
alt (predicative adjective)
When used after ‘sein’, ‘alt’ stays in its base form without an ending.
sind (verb ‘sein’)
Third‑person plural of ‘sein’; it must agree with the plural noun ‘Geräte’.
diese (demonstrative pronoun)
Points to specific items; in the nominative plural it takes the ending –e.
Geräte (noun, plural)
Neuter plural of ‘das Gerät’; the plural ending is –e.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In German main clauses the finite verb is in second position; the question word counts as the first.
🗨In Conversation
Wie alt sind diese Geräte?
How old are these devices?
Sie sind drei Jahre alt und wurden 2021 hergestellt.
They are three years old and were made in 2021.
✕Common Mistakes
Wie alt ist diese Geräte?
The verb must agree with the plural noun ‘Geräte’; use ‘sind’ not ‘ist’.
Wie alt sind diese Gerät?
The noun and demonstrative pronoun must both be plural; use ‘Geräte’ and ‘diese’.
Wie alte sind diese Geräte?
Do not add an ending to ‘alt’ after ‘sein’; it stays unchanged.
↔Alternatives
Wie alt sind diese Sachen?
How old are these things?
Wie alt sind die Geräte?
How old are the devices?
Wie alt ist das Gerät?
How old is the device?
Wie alt wurden diese Geräte hergestellt?
In what year were these devices manufactured?
Cultural Tip
In German, ‘alt’ can describe both people and objects, but it is polite to ask a person’s age with ‘Wie alt bist du?’ (informal) or ‘Wie alt sind Sie?’ (formal). When you ask about objects, the structure ‘Wie alt sind …?’ is perfectly natural. Remember to keep the verb agreement – ‘sind’ for plural nouns and ‘ist’ for singular.