Getting My Head Around ‘Wie’ and ‘Was’: Describing Routines in Germany

Okay, so here I am, six months in Munich, and honestly, the biggest hurdle hasn’t been the beer (though that’s been a challenge too!). It’s been just… talking about what I do. I understand that Germans talk about routines, but I keep tripping over myself trying to explain my morning, my evenings, anything. It’s frustrating, but I’m determined to get better. This is what I’ve been working on – focusing on describing habits and routines in German.

The Initial Panic: “Ich brauche Kaffee!”

The first few weeks, all I seemed to say was “Ich brauche Kaffee!” which, translated literally, means “I need coffee!” – useful, sure, but not exactly a description of a routine. I’d be trying to tell Frau Schmidt in the bakery about my morning, and I’d just blurt it out, and she’d look at me like I’d asked her to explain quantum physics.

I realized I was focusing on what I needed, not how I did things. It felt incredibly basic. I asked my colleague, Thomas, for some help.

“Thomas,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed, “Ich verstehe nicht, wie ich sagen soll, was ich jeden Tag mache. Es ist so… kompliziert!” (Thomas, I don’t understand how to say what I do every day. It’s so… complicated!)

He laughed and said, “Ach, das ist ganz einfach! Es geht nicht nur um ‘Ich brauche Kaffee’. Es geht um Wie und Was.” (Oh, it’s very simple! It’s not just about ‘I need coffee’. It’s about How and What.)

Key Phrases – The Basics

Thomas was right. Here’s what I’ve been focusing on:

• Was mache ich…? (What do I do…?) – This is a fantastic starting point. “Was mache ich am Morgen?” (What do I do in the morning?)
• Wie mache ich…? (How do I do…?) – This is where things get interesting. “Wie mache ich mein Frühstück?” (How do I make my breakfast?)
• Jeden Tag (Every day) – Crucial for setting the context.
• Normalerweise (Normally) – Adds a bit of realism. “Normalerweise trinke ich Kaffee.” (I normally drink coffee.)
• Manchmal (Sometimes) – To acknowledge variations. “Manchmal gehe ich ins Fitnessstudio.” (Sometimes I go to the gym.)

A Typical Morning – My Attempts

Let’s say I’m trying to describe my morning to a new acquaintance, Alice.

“Guten Morgen, Alice! Jeden Tag, um 7 Uhr, wache ich auf.” (Good morning, Alice! Every day, at 7 o’clock, I wake up.)

Alice nods, but I can see she’s waiting for more.

“Dann mache ich das Frühstück. Ich esse Brot mit Marmelade und trinke Kaffee. Manchmal esse ich auch Joghurt.” (Then I make breakfast. I eat bread with jam and drink coffee. Sometimes I also eat yogurt.)

I cringed inwardly. It sounded so stiff. I noticed Thomas saying something similar, but with a little more flow.

“Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. Dann mache ich Frühstück – Brot mit Wurst und Käse, Kaffee. Und manchmal, wenn ich Zeit habe, gehe ich joggen.” (I wake up at 7 o’clock. Then I make breakfast – bread with sausage and cheese, coffee. And sometimes, when I have time, I go for a run.)

See the difference? Adding a little description makes it feel much more natural.

Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

I’ve made so many mistakes. The biggest one is trying to translate directly from English. For instance, I initially tried to say “Ich gehe ins Fitnessstudio, um Sport zu treiben” (I go to the gym to do sports). That just sounded completely unnatural to a German ear.

Instead, I’ve learned to just say “Ich gehe ins Fitnessstudio.” They understand that I’m going to exercise.

Another thing I struggled with was using the correct prepositions. “Ich trinke mit Kaffee” (I drink with coffee) is technically correct, but “Ich trinke Kaffee mit Milch” (I drink coffee with milk) is much more common.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Honestly, the only way I’m going to get better is by actually using the phrases. I’m making a conscious effort to describe my day, even if it’s just to myself in the mirror. I’m writing down the phrases I’m learning and repeating them.

I’m even trying to ask people, “Was machst du am Abend?” (What do you do in the evening?). It’s terrifying, but it’s progress.

I know this isn’t a magic solution, but focusing on Was and Wie, and really listening to how native speakers describe their routines, is giving me a much better handle on this part of German. Ich bin sicher, dass ich es schaffe! (I’m sure I can do it!)