“Was machen Sie beruflich?”
What do you do for work?
Small TalkFormalA2
Literal Translation
Word for word: “What do you professionally?”
Pronunciation
/vas ˈmaxən ziː bəˈʁuːflɪç/
When to Use This Phrase
Asking about someone's profession is standard German small talk. Germans tend to identify strongly with their profession, so this question is natural and not considered too personal.
Example Sentences
Was machen Sie beruflich? — Ich bin Ingenieur.
What do you do for work? — I'm an engineer.
Darf ich fragen, was machen Sie beruflich?
May I ask, what do you do for a living?
Word Breakdown
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