Breakdown of Worauf beziehen Sie sich genau?
genau
exactly / precise, exact
sich beziehen auf
to refer to
Questions & Answers about Worauf beziehen Sie sich genau?
Why do we use worauf here instead of auf was?
When asking about 'what' with a preposition for an inanimate object or idea, standard German uses a 'wo-compound'. Because auf starts with a vowel, an -r- is added to make worauf. You might hear auf was in casual speech, but worauf is the grammatically correct standard form.
Why does this sentence use the reflexive pronoun sich?
The verb sich beziehen auf (to refer to) is inherently reflexive. If you drop sich, the base verb beziehen means something completely different, such as 'to obtain' (like a salary or pension) or 'to put fresh sheets on' (a bed).
How do I know which preposition to use with sich beziehen?
It is a fixed combination. The verb sich beziehen always takes the preposition auf followed by the accusative case. Just like in English you 'refer TO' something, in German you must memorize the pair sich beziehen auf.
Could I put genau right after worauf, similar to the English 'what exactly'?
Yes, you can say Worauf genau beziehen Sie sich? and it sounds very natural. Leaving genau at the end of the sentence, as shown here, is also perfectly fine and just slightly shifts the emphasis onto the action rather than the question word.
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