Questions (Fragen)
German has two question types. W-questions open with a question word (wer, was, wo, wann, warum, wie, welcher …) and keep the conjugated verb in second position. Yes/no questions have no question word — you simply move the verb to the very front: Kommst du? In both, the finite verb sits in a fixed slot.
W-questions (open questions)
Start with the question word; the conjugated verb comes right after it (position two), then the subject. The question word itself fills the first slot.
Common question words
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wer | who | Wer kommt heute? |
| was | what | Was machst du? |
| wo | where | Wo wohnst du? |
| wann | when | Wann beginnt der Film? |
| warum | why | Warum lernst du Deutsch? |
| wie | how | Wie geht es dir? |
Wo wohnst du?
Where do you live?
Question word + verb (wohnst) in slot two.
Warum lernst du Deutsch?
Why are you learning German?
Yes/no questions
With no question word, move the conjugated verb to the front and the subject follows it. The answer is expected to be ja or nein (or doch to contradict a negative).
Kommst du mit?
Are you coming along?
Verb first → yes/no question.
Hast du Zeit?
Do you have time?
Sprichst du Deutsch?
Do you speak German?
No English "do"-helper — the main verb just fronts.
"welcher" — which one
welch- ("which") is a question word that agrees with its noun in gender, case, and number, taking der-word endings: welcher Mann, welche Frau, welches Kind, welche Kinder.
Welches Buch liest du?
Which book are you reading?
Neuter → welches.
Mit welchem Bus fährst du?
Which bus are you taking?
Dative after mit → welchem.
wo- compounds and "was für"
For things (not people) with a preposition, German often uses a wo(r)- compound: Worüber sprichst du? (What are you talking about?), Womit schreibst du? (What are you writing with?). Was für (ein) asks "what kind of": Was für ein Auto ist das?
Worauf wartest du?
What are you waiting for?
wo + auf → worauf (an -r- is inserted before a vowel).
Was für Musik hörst du?
What kind of music do you listen to?
Examples
Wie heißt du?
What's your name?
Literally "How are you called?"
Wann kommst du nach Hause?
When are you coming home?
Trinkst du Kaffee?
Do you drink coffee?
Yes/no → verb first.
Welche Farbe magst du?
Which colour do you like?
German lookup checklist
| Question | What to check |
|---|---|
| Meaning | What does the form contribute to the sentence? |
| Agreement | Does it match person, number, gender, case, or tense? |
| Position | Does placement change emphasis or grammatical role? |
Common Mistakes
- Adding an English "do/does": **~~Do you speak German?~~** is just **Sprichst du Deutsch?** German fronts the main verb directly.
- Putting the verb third in a W-question: **~~Wo du wohnst?~~** → **Wo wohnst du?** The conjugated verb must be in position two.
- Leaving **welch-** uninflected: it agrees with its noun — *welch**es** Buch**, **welch**er** Zug**, **mit welch**em** Bus*.
Lookup Tips
- Two structures to internalize: **W-word + verb + subject** (open question) and **verb + subject** (yes/no question).
- To answer a negative yes/no question affirmatively, use **doch**, not ja: **Kommst du nicht? — Doch!** (Yes, I am!).
- For "what … with/about/for" (things), reach for a **wo(r)-** compound rather than a preposition + was: **Womit?**, **Worüber?**, **Worauf?**
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a yes/no question in German?
Move the conjugated verb to the front, then the subject: statement **Du kommst** → question **Kommst du?** There is no auxiliary "do" as in English.
What is "doch" for?
**doch** answers "yes" to a **negatively phrased** question, contradicting it: **Hast du kein Geld? — Doch!** means "Yes, I do (have money)." Plain **ja** can't do this job.
When do I use "welcher" vs. "was für ein"?
Use **welch-** to pick out a specific one from a known set ("which book?"). Use **was für (ein)** to ask about type or character ("what kind of book?"). **welch-** agrees in case/gender; the **ein** in **was für ein** declines but **für** here does not set the case.