German · People & Family

"Do you have children?" in German: Hast du Kinder?

Hast du Kinder?

Say it: hast doo KIN-derphrase/hast duː ˈkɪndɐ/

Note: formal: Haben Sie Kinder?

Do you have children? in German is Hast du Kinder? among friends. With strangers, Haben Sie Kinder? is the polite Sie form — keep that as a note, not the main line.

Catching up with a classmate

Hast du Kinder, oder plant ihr erst?
Do you have children, or are you still planning?
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How to pronounce Hast du Kinder?

Say it

hast doo KIN-der

/hast duː ˈkɪndɐ/

hast doo KIN-der. Short a in hast; Kinder with short i and clear d.

"Do you have children?" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
Hast du Kinder?Do you have children?

Informal default.

Haben Sie Kinder?Do you have children?

Formal Sie note.

Wir haben zwei KinderWe have two children

Answer pattern.

Noch keine Kinderno children yet

Soft reply.

How to use Hast du Kinder? in real life

  1. 1Catching up with a classmate

    Hast du Kinder, oder plant ihr erst?

    Do you have children, or are you still planning?

    Full informal question.

  2. 2Park small talk

    Hast du Kinder in dem Alter?

    Do you have children that age?

    Follow-up detail.

  3. 3Family dinner intro

    Sag mal, hast du Kinder?

    Tell me, do you have children?

    Sag mal softens.

Mistakes English speakers make with Hast du Kinder?

Incorrect: Hast du Childs?

Correct: Hast du Kinder?

Use Kinder, not English child forms.

Incorrect: Hast du Kind?

Correct: Hast du Kinder? / Hast du ein Kind?

Plural Kinder is the usual question; ein Kind if you mean one.

Good to know

Among acquaintances the question can feel personal. Soften with Falls es okay ist or wait until kids come up naturally. At playgrounds it is more expected.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Coffee with an old friend

  1. ChatPal

    Wir haben uns so lange nicht gesehen.

    We haven't seen each other in so long.

  2. You

    Stimmt. Hast du Kinder inzwischen?

    True. Do you have children now?

  3. ChatPal

    Noch nicht. Hast du Kinder?

    Not yet. Do you have children?

  4. You

    Nein, noch keine. Vielleicht später.

    No, none yet. Maybe later.

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"Do you have children?" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Do you have children?" in German

How do you ask do you have children informally?

Hast du Kinder?

What is the formal version?

Haben Sie Kinder?

How do you answer no?

Nein, ich habe keine Kinder. / Noch keine.

How do you say two kids?

Ich habe zwei Kinder.

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