German Phrase
Was hast du gemacht?
Meaning
Literally ‘What have you done?’, this question asks about a completed action in the past. It is informal and used when you want to know what someone did, often after an event or a period of time.
When to use
Use it in casual conversation with friends, family, or colleagues you address with ‘du’. It’s perfect for catching up after a weekend, a holiday, or any activity you suspect the other person has just finished.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Washastdugemacht
Was (interrogative pronoun)
‘Was’ means ‘what’ and introduces a yes‑no or wh‑question.
hast (2nd person singular of haben)
In the Perfekt, ‘haben’ is used as the auxiliary verb; ‘hast’ is the present‑tense form for ‘du’.
du (subject pronoun)
The informal second‑person singular pronoun; it follows the auxiliary in a question.
gemacht (past participle of machen)
The main verb appears at the end of the clause in Perfekt constructions.
Verb‑second word order in questions
In German questions the finite verb comes right after the interrogative word, then the subject, then the participle.
🗨In Conversation
Was hast du gestern gemacht?
What did you do yesterday?
Ich bin mit Freunden ins Kino gegangen und habe danach noch ein Buch gelesen.
I went to the cinema with friends and then read a book.
✕Common Mistakes
Gemacht hast du was?
The verb order is wrong; in a question the finite verb must follow the interrogative word.
Was du hast gemacht?
Missing the verb‑second rule; the auxiliary ‘hast’ must come directly after ‘Was’.
Was hast du machen?
‘Machen’ must be in its past participle form ‘gemacht’ for the Perfekt.
Was hast du gemacht??
In German only one question mark is used; double punctuation is considered a typo.
↔Alternatives
Was hast du getan?
What have you done?
Was hast du heute gemacht?
What did you do today?
Was hast du erledigt?
What have you accomplished?
Was haben Sie gemacht?
What did you do? (formal)
Cultural Tip
In spoken German the Perfekt (hast gemacht) is the default past tense, while the Präteritum (machte) is mainly used in written narratives. Remember to switch to the formal ‘Sie’ form – ‘Was haben Sie gemacht?’ – when speaking with strangers, elders, or in a business setting. Also, Germans often prefer more specific verbs (e.g., ‘kochen’, ‘reisen’) instead of the generic ‘machen’ when the context is clear.