A1 Dutch GrammarBasic Questions
Learn to ask questions in Dutch using question words (wie, wat, waar, etc.) and yes/no question formation through verb inversion.
1Question Words (Vraagwoorden)
Dutch question words start with 'w' or 'h'. They always come first in the sentence, followed by the verb. The most common are: wie (who), wat (what), waar (where), wanneer (when), waarom (why), hoe (how).
Common Question Words
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wie | who | Wie is dat? |
| wat | what | Wat doe je? |
| waar | where | Waar woon je? |
| wanneer | when | Wanneer kom je? |
| waarom | why | Waarom niet? |
| hoe | how | Hoe gaat het? |
Examples
Wie is je leraar?
Who is your teacher?
wie = who
Wat eet je?
What are you eating?
wat = what
Waar is het station?
Where is the station?
waar = where
Wanneer begint de film?
When does the movie start?
wanneer = when
2Yes/No Questions
For yes/no questions, put the verb first and the subject second (inversion). The rest of the sentence stays the same. Answer with 'ja' (yes) or 'nee' (no).
Statement to Question
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| Jij spreekt Nederlands. | Spreek jij Nederlands? |
| Hij woont hier. | Woont hij hier? |
| Ze komt morgen. | Komt ze morgen? |
| U bent de leraar. | Bent u de leraar? |
Examples
Heb je tijd?
Do you have time?
verb first
Wil je koffie?
Do you want coffee?
wil first
Is dit je boek?
Is this your book?
is first
Kun je zwemmen?
Can you swim?
kun first
3Welk/Welke (Which)
'Welk' (which) changes based on the noun's article: 'welk' with het-words, 'welke' with de-words and all plurals. It asks you to choose from options.
Welk vs Welke
| Article | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| het | welk | Welk boek lees je? |
| de | welke | Welke film kijk je? |
| plural | welke | Welke boeken zijn dat? |
| plural | welke | Welke dagen werk je? |
Examples
Welk huis is van jou?
Which house is yours?
het huis → welk
Welke taal spreek je?
Which language do you speak?
de taal → welke
Welke kleur wil je?
Which color do you want?
de kleur → welke
Welk station is het?
Which station is it?
het station → welk
4Hoeveel and Hoe + Adjective
'Hoeveel' means 'how much/many'. 'Hoe' + adjective asks about degree: hoe groot (how big), hoe lang (how long), hoe oud (how old), hoe ver (how far).
Hoe + Adjective
| Dutch | English | Asks about |
|---|---|---|
| hoeveel | how much/many | quantity |
| hoe groot | how big | size |
| hoe oud | how old | age |
| hoe lang | how long | length/duration |
| hoe ver | how far | distance |
Examples
Hoeveel kost dit?
How much does this cost?
hoeveel for price
Hoe oud ben je?
How old are you?
hoe oud for age
Hoe lang duurt de reis?
How long does the trip take?
hoe lang for duration
Hoe ver is het?
How far is it?
hoe ver for distance