Questions & Answers about Was machen die Leute?
Why does the verb machen come right after the question word Was?
In German questions that start with a question word like Was (What), Wer (Who), or Wo (Where), the verb always takes the second position. The subject of the sentence (die Leute) is then pushed to the spot immediately after the verb.
Why is there no German word for "are" in this sentence?
German doesn't have an "-ing" form or a continuous tense like English does. The single verb machen covers both "do" and "are doing". Trying to add an extra word for "are" is a common beginner mistake, so just remember that the present tense does double duty in German!
Doesn't machen usually mean "to make"?
machen is a very useful and flexible verb that translates to both "to make" and "to do". You have to rely on the context to know which one is meant. Here, "What are the people doing?" is the most natural translation, though "What are the people making?" could also be correct in the right situation.
Why do we use die for Leute?
Leute means "people" and is always a plural noun. Because it is plural, it takes the plural definite article die (the) and the plural verb form machen. Just like in English, there is no singular form for this specific word!
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