Breakdown of Wir machen Urlaub in Frankreich.
machen
to make, to do
in
in
wir
we
Frankreich
France
der Urlaub
the vacation / the holiday
Questions & Answers about Wir machen Urlaub in Frankreich.
If I want to ask about the location in this sentence, should I use Wo, Wohin, or Woher?
You would use Wo (where). Even though going on vacation involves travel, the phrase in Frankreich describes the fixed location where the vacation is happening. You use Wohin (where to) when focusing on the movement itself, like if you were asking 'Where are you driving to?'.
Why do we use machen instead of a word for 'take'?
In English, we 'take' a vacation, but in German, the standard phrase is Urlaub machen (to make/do vacation). It is a set phrase you just have to memorize!
Why isn't there an 'a' (einen) before Urlaub?
The expression Urlaub machen is almost always used without an article in German. It feels very similar to how we say 'we are on vacation' in English, rather than 'we are on a vacation'.
Why is it just in Frankreich instead of 'in dem Frankreich'?
Most countries in German, including Frankreich (France) and Deutschland (Germany), do not use a definite article like 'the'. You just put the preposition directly before the country name.
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