Breakdown of Können Sie Deutsch sprechen?
Sie
you (formal)
sprechen
to speak
können
can / to be able to
Deutsch
German
Questions & Answers about Können Sie Deutsch sprechen?
Why is sprechen at the very end of the sentence?
This is a great example of the German sentence bracket (Satzklammer). When you use a modal verb like können (can), it takes the active verb spot. The main action verb you are asking about (sprechen) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence in its original dictionary form.
Why does the sentence start with Können instead of the subject Sie?
Because this is a yes/no question! Just like in English, German yes/no questions put the conjugated verb at the very front. If this were a regular statement, the subject would come first: Sie können Deutsch sprechen (You can speak German).
Why is Sie capitalized in the middle of the sentence?
Capitalized Sie is the formal you in German, used to show respect to strangers, elders, or in business settings. It is always capitalized anywhere in a sentence, which helps tell it apart from the lowercase sie (which means she or they).
Why does Können look exactly like the dictionary form of the verb?
When you use the formal Sie (as well as the plural we and they), the conjugated verb always looks exactly the same as the infinitive (dictionary form). So while können is the base form, here it acts as the correctly conjugated form for the formal you.