Blog, German in 100 Bites

Bite 20: Giving Directions in German – Find Your Way with Confidence

German in 100 bites by Dr. Mitar Pitzek

Bite 20:
Giving Directions in German - Find Your Way with Confidence
(A1 Level)

Innes Blog - Bite 20: Giving Directions in German

Before We Dive In

You’re in Vienna, standing in front of a map, and someone asks you:

„Entschuldigung, wo ist der Stephansdom?“
(Excuse me, where is St. Stephen’s Cathedral?)

What do you say?

Don’t worry – in this Bite, you’ll learn exactly how to ask and give directions in German. It’s one of the most practical things to master – whether you’re helping a tourist or looking for the right U-Bahn station yourself.

Lost in Translation? Not Anymore!

1. How to Ask for Directions

Here are some useful questions you might hear or want to ask:

German	English
Wo ist…?	Where is…?
Wie komme ich zum/zur…?	How do I get to…?
Können Sie mir helfen?	Can you help me?
Gibt es hier in der Nähe…?	Is there a … nearby?
Entschuldigung…	Excuse me…

Examples:

Wo ist der Bahnhof? (Where is the train station?)
Wie komme ich zur Oper? (How do I get to the opera?)
Gibt es hier in der Nähe ein Café? (Is there a café nearby?)

2. Giving Directions – Key Vocabulary

These don’t start with a question word — they begin directly with the verb.

German	English
geradeaus	straight ahead
rechts / links	right / left
die erste Straße rechts	the first street on the right
bis zur Ampel / Kreuzung	until the traffic light / intersection
über die Brücke	over the bridge
in der Nähe	nearby
gegenüber	across from
neben	next to
an der Ecke	on the corner
Es ist nicht weit.	It’s not far.

Combine them:

Gehen Sie geradeaus und dann rechts. (Go straight ahead and then right.)
Die Bank ist neben dem Supermarkt. (The bank is next to the supermarket.)
Der Park ist gegenüber der U-Bahn-Station. (The park is across from the subway station.)

3. Formal vs. Informal – du oder Sie?

On the street or in public, use the formal form (Sie) when talking to strangers.

Examples:

Können Sie mir bitte helfen? (Can you please help me?)
Wie komme ich zur Mariahilfer Straße? (How do I get to Mariahilfer Street?)
Kannst du mir bitte den Weg zum Naschmarkt beschreiben? (Can you describe the way to the Naschmarkt for me please?)

Use the informal form (du) only if you’re talking to someone you already know well (like a friend or classmate).

4. Practice Time – Give Directions!

Try these tasks in German:

How would you tell someone to get from your house to the supermarket?
Describe how to get to a famous place in Vienna.

Example:

Gehen Sie geradeaus, dann links in die Burggasse. (Go straight ahead, then left into Burggasse.)
Die Bibliothek ist gegenüber vom Volkstheater. (The library is across from the Volkstheater.)
Es ist ganz in der Nähe! (It’s very close!)

✅ Try writing 3-5 short sentences.
✅ Say them out loud or practice with a friend!

Vienna Tip: Explore with German

Next time you’re out and about in Vienna:

Ask a local: „Entschuldigung, wo ist der Naschmarkt?“ (Excuse me, where is the Naschmarkt?)
Or challenge yourself to give directions in German to a classmate – even if you’re both tourists!
Bonus tip: Use Google Maps in German to learn vocabulary naturally.

Every street corner is a chance to practice!

Summary

Knowing how to ask for and give directions is one of the most useful everyday German skills.

Use common question forms like „Wo ist…?“
Practice vocabulary like geradeaus, rechts, links
Use the formal “Sie” for polite interactions
Practice in real Vienna situations

Because knowing how to find your way helps you feel at home – wherever you are.

Pro Tip from Dr. Mitar Pitzek

„Ortsangaben und Wegbeschreibungen sind ein wunderbares Feld für Präpositionen – wie an, in, neben, gegenüber. Je mehr du das im Alltag hörst und nutzt, desto natürlicher klingt dein Deutsch.“
(Place descriptions and directions are a wonderful field for prepositions – like an, in, neben, gegenüber. The more you hear and use them in everyday life, the more natural your German will sound.)

And:

Use „zu“ + dative when saying to a place:
→ zur Post, zum Supermarkt. (to the post office, to the supermarket)
Prepositions like in, an, neben often come with Dativ, too:
→ Das Café ist neben der Bank. (The café is next to the bank.)