Breakdown of Macht ihr oft Sport?
machen
to make, to do
oft
often
ihr
you (informal plural)
der Sport
the sports
Questions & Answers about Macht ihr oft Sport?
Why is oft placed right after ihr?
In German yes/no questions, the verb comes first (Macht) and the subject comes second (ihr). Adverbs of frequency like oft (often) usually come immediately after the subject.
Why use ihr here instead of du or Sie?
ihr is the informal plural "you" (like "you guys" or "y'all"). The speaker is asking multiple people if they work out. If they were asking just one friend, they would use du (Machst du oft Sport?). For a formal situation, they would use Sie (Machen Sie oft Sport?).
Could I use a word like "spielen" (to play) instead of Macht?
Not when using the general word Sport. In English you might "play sports," but the standard German phrase for general exercise is Sport machen. You only use spielen for specific games, like Spielt ihr oft Fußball? (Do you often play soccer?).