A1 German GrammarBasic Questions
Learn to form yes/no questions and use essential German question words (W-Fragen). Master wer, was, wo, wann, warum, and wie to ask about people, things, places, time, reasons, and manner.
1Yes/No Questions
In German, yes/no questions are formed by placing the verb first, before the subject. This is called verb-first word order. The intonation rises at the end of the question.
Yes/No Question Formation
| Statement | Question | English |
|---|---|---|
| Du sprichst Deutsch. | Sprichst du Deutsch? | Do you speak German? |
| Sie kommt heute. | Kommt sie heute? | Is she coming today? |
| Er hat Zeit. | Hat er Zeit? | Does he have time? |
| Wir gehen ins Kino. | Gehen wir ins Kino? | Are we going to the cinema? |
Examples
Hast du Hunger?
Are you hungry?
Verb 'hast' comes first
Ist das dein Buch?
Is that your book?
Verb 'ist' at the beginning
Arbeitest du morgen?
Are you working tomorrow?
Verb first, subject second
Können Sie mir helfen?
Can you help me?
Formal 'Sie' with modal verb first
2Question Words (W-Fragen)
German question words all begin with 'W' and are called W-Fragen. The question word comes first, followed by the verb, then the subject. These are essential for gathering information.
Common Question Words
| German | English | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| wer | who | people (subject) |
| was | what | things, actions |
| wo | where | location |
| wann | when | time |
| warum | why | reason |
| wie | how | manner, condition |
Examples
Wer ist das?
Who is that?
'Wer' asks about people
Was machst du?
What are you doing?
'Was' asks about things/actions
Wo wohnst du?
Where do you live?
'Wo' asks about location
Wann kommst du?
When are you coming?
'Wann' asks about time
3More Question Words
German has additional question words for more specific questions. These include 'woher' (where from), 'wohin' (where to), 'wie viel' (how much), and 'welcher' (which). These help you ask more detailed questions.
Extended Question Words
| German | English | Example Use |
|---|---|---|
| woher | where from | origin, source |
| wohin | where to | destination |
| wie viel | how much | quantity, amount |
| wie viele | how many | countable things |
| welcher/welche/welches | which | choice, selection |
Examples
Woher kommst du?
Where are you from?
'Woher' for origin
Wohin gehst du?
Where are you going?
'Wohin' for destination
Wie viel kostet das?
How much does that cost?
'Wie viel' for price/amount
Welche Farbe magst du?
Which color do you like?
'Welche' agrees with feminine noun
4Common Question Patterns
Some question patterns are used very frequently in everyday German. Learning these fixed phrases will help you communicate quickly and naturally. Notice how 'wie' combines with other words.
Everyday Question Phrases
| German | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? | informal greeting |
| Wie heißt du? | What's your name? | meeting someone |
| Wie spät ist es? | What time is it? | asking time |
| Wie alt bist du? | How old are you? | asking age |
Examples
Wie bitte?
Pardon? / Excuse me?
Asking someone to repeat
Warum nicht?
Why not?
Common short response
Wie schreibt man das?
How do you spell that?
Asking for spelling
Was bedeutet das?
What does that mean?
Asking for meaning