German Phrase
Welche Ziele hast du beruflich?
Meaning
This question asks someone to describe the professional objectives they are aiming for in their career. It focuses specifically on work‑related ambitions rather than personal or academic goals.
When to use
Use this sentence in job interviews, networking events, career‑counselling sessions, or casual conversations when you want to learn about a person’s professional aspirations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WelcheZielehastduberuflich?
Welche (interrogative determiner)
‘Welche’ is used to ask about a specific item from a known set and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies; here it matches the plural noun ‘Ziele’ in the accusative.
Ziele (plural noun, accusative)
‘Ziele’ is the plural of ‘Ziel’ (goal). As the direct object of ‘haben’, it appears in the accusative case.
hast (2nd person singular of haben)
The verb ‘haben’ is conjugated to match the subject ‘du’; in a main clause the verb occupies the second position (V2 word order).
du (subject pronoun)
The personal pronoun ‘du’ follows the verb in a question because the verb already occupies the first position.
beruflich (adverb)
‘beruflich’ modifies the whole phrase, specifying that the goals are related to one’s profession; it is placed after the object for natural flow.
🗨In Conversation
Welche Ziele hast du beruflich?
What professional goals do you have?
Ich möchte in den nächsten drei Jahren zum Projektleiter aufsteigen und meine Sprachkenntnisse erweitern.
I’d like to become a project manager within the next three years and improve my language skills.
✕Common Mistakes
Was Ziele hast du beruflich?
‘Was’ is not used with plural nouns; ‘Welche’ is required to match the plural ‘Ziele’.
Welche Ziel hast du beruflich?
The noun must be plural ‘Ziele’ because ‘Welche’ refers to multiple possible goals.
Welche Ziele du hast beruflich?
German main clauses require verb‑second order; the verb ‘hast’ must come before the subject ‘du’.
↔Alternatives
Was sind deine beruflichen Ziele?
What are your professional goals?
Welche beruflichen Ziele verfolgst du?
Which professional goals are you pursuing?
Auf welche Ziele im Beruf hinarbeitest du?
Which career goals are you working towards?
Cultural Tip
In German business culture, direct questions about career ambitions are common and appreciated, but it’s polite to preface them with a brief context (e.g., ‘Im Rahmen unseres Gesprächs…’). Avoid sounding overly aggressive; showing genuine interest and modesty is valued.