Was bist du von Beruf?
What is your profession?
German A1 · Lesson 7/30 · Free
Professions and work
In this lesson you will learn to say your profession and your workplace.
Lektion 701 · First, listen
Dialogue in context
Listen to the complete conversation and follow the translation.
AnnaWas bist du von Beruf?What is your profession?
02 · Essential phrases
Listen and repeat
Learn each expression as a complete block.
Ich bin Ingenieur.
I am an engineer.
Wo arbeitest du?
Where do you work?
Ich arbeite bei einer deutschen Firma.
I work at a German company.
Arbeitest du heute?
Are you working today?
Ja, bis fünf Uhr.
Yes, until five.
Was machst du
Was bist du von Beruf? is the standard question about profession: 'what do you do for a living?'. Beruf means profession. A common alternative is Was machst du beruflich?
Ich bin Ingenieur
Ich bin Ingenieur shows an important rule: when stating a profession, German does not use an article. It is Ich bin Ingenieur, never 'ich bin ein Ingenieur'.
03 · Understand the logic
Explanation
Keep the German visible while you listen to the explanation.
Explanation 1
Dialog im Kontext
Notice that no one uses an article before the profession. This is the biggest difference compared to Portuguese.
Explanation 2
Was bist du von Beruf?
Was bist du von Beruf? is the standard question about profession: 'what do you do for a living?'. Beruf means profession. A common alternative is Was machst du beruflich?
Explanation 3
Ich bin Ingenieur
Ich bin Ingenieur shows an important rule: when stating a profession, German does not use an article. It is Ich bin Ingenieur, never 'ich bin ein Ingenieur'.
Explanation 4
du: du arbeitest
Wo arbeitest du? asks for the workplace. The verb arbeiten gains an extra -e- in the form du: du arbeitest, to facilitate pronunciation after the t.
04 · Review
Test what you learned
Choose the correct translation and check your answer instantly.