German Phrase
Wer bringt den Nachtisch?
Meaning
Literally ‘Who brings the dessert?’, this sentence is used to find out which person will take care of serving or fetching the sweet course at a meal.
When to use
Use it during a dinner or a pot‑luck when the group is deciding who will handle the dessert. It works in informal settings among friends, family, or colleagues.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WerbringtdenNachtisch?
Wer (question word)
‘Wer’ asks about a person and is always used for the subject of the sentence.
bringt (3rd person singular of bringen)
‘bringt’ is the present‑tense form for ‘he/she/it brings’. The verb stays in the second position in a main clause.
den (accusative masculine article)
‘Nachtisch’ is a masculine noun, so in the accusative case it takes the article ‘den’.
Word order in yes/no‑questions
In German questions that start with a question word, the verb follows immediately (Verb‑Second), then the object.
🗨In Conversation
Wer bringt den Nachtisch?
Who’s bringing the dessert?
Ich bringe den Apfelstrudel mit.
I’ll bring the apple strudel.
✕Common Mistakes
Wer bringt der Nachtisch?
‘Nachtisch’ is masculine, but in the accusative it takes ‘den’, not ‘der’. Using ‘der’ would be a case error.
Wer bringe den Nachtisch?
‘bringe’ is first‑person singular. The subject is ‘Wer’, which requires third‑person singular ‘bringt’.
Wer bringt den Nachtisches?
‘Nachtisch’ does not take an -es ending in the accusative; the article already marks the case.
↔Alternatives
Wer holt den Nachtisch?
Who fetches the dessert?
Wer serviert den Nachtisch?
Who serves the dessert?
Wer bringt das Dessert?
Who brings the dessert?
Cultural Tip
In German households dessert (der Nachtisch) is often a separate course after coffee. It’s common to ask who will bring it, especially at informal gatherings where everyone contributes a dish. Note that ‘Nachtisch’ is masculine, but the borrowed word ‘Dessert’ (neuter) is also widely used, especially in restaurants.