German Phrase
Hast du den Bericht schon fertig?
Meaning
Literally, ‘Have you the report already finished?’ It is the common German way to ask whether someone has completed a report, with the nuance of checking progress rather than demanding the finished product.
When to use
Use this question in a workplace or study setting when you want to know if a colleague or classmate has finished a specific document. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable among peers and even with a supervisor if the relationship is friendly.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HastdudenBerichtschonfertig
Verb‑Second in Yes/No Questions
In German yes/no questions the finite verb moves to the first position, followed by the subject.
Accusative Object
‘den Bericht’ is the accusative form of ‘der Bericht’ because it is the direct object of the implied action.
Use of ‘schon’
‘schon’ means ‘already’ or ‘yet’ and is placed before the adjective or past participle to ask about completion.
Predicative ‘fertig’
‘fertig’ functions as a predicative adjective; the construction ‘Hast du … fertig?’ is a short way of saying ‘Hast du … fertig gemacht?’
🗨In Conversation
Hast du den Bericht schon fertig?
Have you finished the report yet?
Ja, ich habe ihn gerade eben fertiggestellt.
Yes, I just finished it.
✕Common Mistakes
Bist du den Bericht fertig?
‘bist’ is used with ‘sein’ and requires a dative object; the correct verb here is ‘haben’ because the implied action is ‘fertig machen’.
Hast du den Bericht fertig schon?
Learners sometimes place ‘schon’ after ‘fertig’, which changes the meaning to ‘already finished’ in a statement rather than a question.
Hast du der Bericht schon fertig?
Missing the article or using the wrong case (e.g., ‘der Bericht’) makes the sentence ungrammatical because the object must be accusative.
↔Alternatives
Hast du den Bericht bereits fertig?
Have you already finished the report?
Ist der Bericht schon fertig?
Is the report already finished?
Bist du mit dem Bericht fertig?
Are you done with the report?
Cultural Tip
In German office culture, asking about a task with ‘schon’ signals that the deadline is approaching, but it’s still polite. Avoid sounding too pushy by pairing the question with a friendly tone or a brief ‘Wie läuft’s?’ (How’s it going?). In southern Germany you might also hear ‘Bist du mit dem Bericht fertig?’ which uses ‘sein’ instead of ‘haben’ and is equally common.