Questions & Answers about Machst du Urlaub in Spanien?
Why does the German sentence use Machst (make) instead of a word for 'going'?
In English, we say we 'go on holiday,' but Germans use the set phrase Urlaub machen (literally 'to make vacation').
The translation says 'going on holiday', so why do we use the location preposition in Spanien instead of a directional one like nach Spanien?
Because German uses the verb machen (to make/do) here, there is no actual movement verb in the sentence. You are 'making vacation' at a fixed location. If you used a movement verb like fahren (to travel), you would use the directional preposition nach (to) and say Fährst du nach Spanien?
If I wanted to ask 'Where are you going on holiday?', would I use Wo or Wohin?
You would use the locational word Wo (Where), asking Wo machst du Urlaub?. Even though English often says 'Where are you going,' the German phrase Urlaub machen takes place in a fixed location, so it answers Wo rather than the directional Wohin (To where).
Why does the sentence start with the verb Machst?
For yes/no questions in German, the conjugated verb moves to the very front of the sentence. The normal statement Du machst Urlaub (You are going on holiday) simply flips to Machst du Urlaub? to become a question.
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