How to Ask Questions in German | FluentU German Blog (2024)

How to Ask Questions in German | FluentU German Blog (1)

By How to Ask Questions in German | FluentU German Blog (2)Rebecca Henderson Last updated:

Asking questions is the pathway to knowledge of any kind, and the same goes for your journey to learn German.

Knowing how to ask questions in German opens so many doors! All it takes is understanding the basics behind German questions and German question words.

That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this post!

Contents

  • German Question Words
    • Wer — Who
    • Was — What
    • Wann — When
    • Wo — Where
    • Warum — Why
    • Wie — How
    • Wieso — Why/How come
    • Wie viel — How much
    • Wie viele — How many
    • Woher — From where
    • Wohin — Where to
    • Wovon — What about / what by / what from / what of
    • Welche / Welcher / Welches — Which
    • Weshalb — For what reason / Why
  • Yes or No Questions in German
  • Using German Statement Additions for Questions
  • Using Prepositions to Ask German Questions
  • Addressing the Subject when Asking German Questions
  • How to Practice Asking Questions in German
  • And One More Thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

German Question Words

One of the most obvious ways to ask a question in any language is to use a question word. If you’ve ever asked who, what, when, where and/or why, you’re on the right track.

Here are common question words you’ll find in German, along with some example questions.

Wer — Who

Wer kommt mit dir zur Hochzeit?
Who is coming with you to the wedding?

Wer ist der Bundeskanzler von Deutschland?
Who is the Chancellor of Germany?

Was What

Was hast du gestern gemacht?
What did you do yesterday?

Was ist los mit dir?
What is up with you?

Wann When

Wannhast du Geburtstag?
When is your birthday?

Wann kommen deine Eltern an?
When are your parents arriving?

Wo Where

Wo hast du deinen Rock gekauft?
Where did you buy your skirt?

Woist meine Brille?
Where are my glasses?

Warum Why

Warum sprichst du Deutsch?
Why do you speak German?

Warumbist du hier?
Why are you here?

Wie How

Wie kommst du zur Schule?
How do you get to school?

Wie hast du das gemacht?
How did you do that?

Wieso Why/How come

Wieso hast du mich nicht angerufen?
Why didn’t you call me?

Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?
Why do you look so sad?

Wie viel How much

Wie viel kostet die Halskette?
How much does the necklace cost?

Wie viel Zeit hast du?
How much time do you have?

Wie viele How many

Wie viele Kinder haben Sie?
How many children do you have?

Wie viele Stühle brauchen wir?
How many chairs do we need?

Woher From where

Woher kommst du?
Where are you from?

Woher kennt ihr euch?
Where do you guys know each other from?

Wohin Where to

Wohin gehen wir heute Abend?
Where are we going this evening?

Wohin fahren deine Eltern?
Where are your parents driving to?

Wovon What about / what by / what from / what of

Wovon redest du?
What are you talking about?

Wovon handelt der Roman?
What is the novel about?

Wovon sind Sie nicht überzeugt?
What are you still not convinced by?

Wovon lebt er?
What does he make a living from?

Welche / Welcher / Welches Which

Welcher Arzt hat Sie behandelt?
Which doctor treated you?

Welche Mannschaft hat gewonnen?
Which team won?

Welches Kleid gefällt dir am besten?
Which dress do you like the most?

Weshalb For what reason / Why

Weshalb kommst du so spät?
Why are you so late?

Weshalb hat er das getan?
Why did he do that?

Like most basic vocabulary terms in German, you should be able to memorize question words and recall them whenever necessary.

But, if you’re still not satisfied, keep reading. We’ve got more questions for you!

Yes or No Questions in German

Yes or no questions are probably the easiest. As the name implies, these are questions that can be answered with a simple jaoder nein (yes or no). Questions like these always start with a verb.

First, pick the correct tense for the question you want to ask. You can use nearly any tense to ask a question. Then, simply conjugate the verb to the subject in the sentence using the proper tense.

Place the conjugated verb first in the question and the subject second. The rest of the sentence should follow.

Questions beginning with verbs are somewhat limited. However, this does make it easier to formulate an answer to these types of questions.

Here’s an example:

Spielen Sie Tennis?
Do you play tennis?

Ja, ich spiele Tennis mit meinen Freunden.
Yes, I play tennis with my friends.

As you can see, asking and answering the question simply requires flipping the main verb and the subject.

At the same time, you can also use conditional responses such as vielleicht (maybe), wahrscheinlich (probably), eigentlich nicht (not really) or any number of other responses.

Kaufst du ein neues Auto?
Are you buying a new car?

Vielleicht kaufe ich mir ein neues Auto. Ich bin mir immer noch nicht sicher.
Maybe I’ll buy myself a car. I’m still not sure.

If a question requires more than one verb, the extras go at the very end.

Können Sie mirhelfen?
Can you help me?

Ja, ich kann Ihnen gleich helfen.
Yes, I can help you in a moment.

Now we’re working with two verbs:können(can) andhelfen (to help). Conjugate the first verb and put it at the beginning, just like we did before.

The second verb goes all the way at the end, and in this example, it’s untouched. No conjugation necessary.

Hast du deine Hausaufgaben gemacht?
Have you done your homework?

Ich mache heute Abend meine Hausaufgaben.
I’ll do my homework in the evening.

Again, for this example, the first verb haben(to have) is conjugated at the beginning. Then we have our subject,du,and our object,deine Hausaufgaben. At the end, we have the second verb we need:gemacht(done).

This time, that second verb is conjugated. That’s because we’re working with a verb tense that requires this.You can read more about German verb tenses and word order here.

Asking questions with a verb is as easy as picking a verb and formulating a question from it. Try your hand at a few!

To see these different German question words and structures in action, you can study how native speakers use them on FluentU.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Using German Statement Additions for Questions

Asking about what someone is doing is one thing, but adding meaning to the question can be simple, too.

For instance, think about some of the questions you might ask your friend. If you’re asking something and want a certain response, you’ll likely show that in how you say it.

For example:

Du kommst doch morgen zur Party, nicht wahr?
You’re coming to the party tomorrow, right?

Depending upon the situation and inflection in the speaker’s voice, the “right?” inclusion could mean various things. Here, the speaker might be trying to confirm attendance to the party on Saturday night.

Another highly versatile way checking whether something is true or not, is to use oderat the end of your statement:

Du glaubst mir doch, oder?
But you believe me, right?

Using the term richtig (right) can also be a type of statement addition. The terms oder, nicht wahr and richtig are nearly all interchangeable. Each is requesting a confirmation type of response from the recipient.

These types of inclusions could be considered indirect questions. Indirect questions don’t include question marks but use some of the same phrasing you’d see.

Here’s an example:

Wo warst du Montagabend?
Where were you Monday night?

Ich habe dich gefragt, wo du Montagabend warst.
I asked you, where you were Monday night.

The direct question uses the question word first while the same word comes second in the indirect question below it.

Most often, you’ll hear the indirect question after the direct question has been asked, as a polite way to elicit a response once again.

Using Prepositions to Ask German Questions

Just like verbs, prepositions can be used to introduce a question. You’ll need to shift any prepositions to the beginning of the question and sometimes this even requires a bit of compounding.

You’ve seen a few examples above already. Remember wohin, wovon and woher?

Wovon redest du?
Whatare you talkingabout?

“What-about are you talking?” doesn’t really work in English. Wedon’t have a compound word like thatto begin with. This is where direct translation can get you into trouble.

Woherkommst du? / Wo kommst du her?
Where do you comefrom?

Wohingehst du? / Wo gehst du hin?
Where are you going [to]?

When using the question wordwo(where) with a sense of motion or direction, you’ll need to add an equivalent of “to” or “from” most of the time. This is wherewoher(where-from) andwohin(where-to) become mandatory.

However, after all the explaining I just did about moving prepositions and compounds to the beginning of the question, this is actually the one area where the German rule is starting to break down and look a bit more like what we do in English.

Most German textbooks will still teach you sentences likeWoherkommst du?But then if you actually come to Germany, you’ll hear people sayWokommst duher? all the time.

Another simple example of prepositions at the beginning of a sentence is this one:

Mit wem arbeitest du?
Who do you work with?

The most direct translation here would be “With whom do you work?” The only problem is that most people don’t really speak that way anymore in English, so it might feel a bit odd to think of it that way.

This is because the wo- words like wovon and womit can only be used when talking about objects or ideas. When talking about people, you need to use the preposition and the article separately.

Addressing the Subject when Asking German Questions

Finally, one of the best ways to personalize a question is to include the recipient’s name in the question itself.

This is quite easy to do in both speaking and writing. Begin with the question that’s already formed and then insert the person’s name ahead of everything.

Alternatively, you can also insert their name at the very end of the sentence.

Maria, woher kommst du?
Maria, where are you from?

Hast du einen blauen Stift, Abigail?
Do you have a blue pen, Abigail?

Ben, du und deine Frau kommen morgen, richtig?
Ben, you and your wife are coming tomorrow, right?

Gegen wen kämpfst du, Hans?
Who are you fighting against Hans?

In each case, the answer can be formed using either the question word (woher), the verb (hast) or the preposition (gegen), as we discussed above.

How to Practice Asking Questions in German

Though we’ve demonstrated quite a few examples for you, here are a few resources you can take advantage of to further practice your questioning skills.

  • Quizlet: If you’re more of a flashcard type, check out this set on Quizlet. Study question words with the flashcards and then use the tools to quiz yourself in a variety of ways, from typing in the correct English word to choosing the meaning from the provided responses. This game is great for beginners, as it offers suggestions for further study when you get a question wrong. For more advanced speakers, Quizlet also offers a number of conversation starter resources.
  • PurposeGames:This German question gameon PurposeGames, a site with educational games, tests your knowledge of question words and their meanings. After you’ve matched the correct meanings to their corresponding German counterparts, you’ll receive a score sheet detailing your performance. You can play this game as many times as you like.
  • Deutsche Welle(German Wave): For a great model for asking questions, try watching this mockinterviewfrom Deutsche Welle, a German broadcasting company. It will do a lot to prepare you for the real thing or to simply practice asking and answering questions in German. The most important thing, as with all conversation, is to remember to speak clearly and calmly to get your point across.
  • Experteer:For even more practice, you can use these interview questions on Experteer, a recruitment and career site, to practice for any leads you might pick up in Germany. Or, grab a friend or family member and try role-playing with them to see how many you can answer.

Learning is all about asking questions and seeking out knowledge.

Satisfy your curiosity by delving deeper—there’s no telling what new perspectives you’ll find!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

And One More Thing...

Want to know the key to learning German effectively?

It's using the right content and tools, like FluentU has to offer! Browse hundreds of videos, take endless quizzes and master the German language faster than you've ever imagine!

Watching a fun video, but having trouble understanding it? FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive subtitles.

You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don't know, you can add it to a vocabulary list.

And FluentU isn't just for watching videos. It's a complete platform for learning. It's designed to effectively teach you all the vocabulary from any video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you're on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you're learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Related posts:

    The German Subjunctive
    How to Conjugate German Verbs in the Present Tense
    Meet the German Language: History, Culture, Linguistics and FAQ
How to Ask Questions in German | FluentU German Blog (2024)

FAQs

How to Ask Questions in German | FluentU German Blog? ›

Would you have…? Könnten Sie bitte...? Could you please…? This tense softens the request, like the difference between the sentence “I want a soda,” and “I would like a soda.” If you want to sound extra polite, it's best to add these types of sentences to your speaking repertoire (please).

How do you politely ask for something in German? ›

Would you have…? Könnten Sie bitte...? Could you please…? This tense softens the request, like the difference between the sentence “I want a soda,” and “I would like a soda.” If you want to sound extra polite, it's best to add these types of sentences to your speaking repertoire (please).

How do you format a question in German? ›

If you want to ask a question that is seeking a particular piece of information, you need to start with a question word. This is then followed by your conjugated verb, your subject, then the rest of the sentence. Wann haben wir Deutsch? (When do we have German class?)

What are the 5 W's in German? ›

WHAT ARE THE 5 W'S?
EnglishGermanDutch
WhatWasWat
WhenWannWanneer
WhereWoWaar
WhyWarumWaarom
1 more row
Apr 2, 2018

What is the difference between können and könnten? ›

'Können' is the infinitive (i.e. most base) form of this verb ('to can/ to be able to') that would be conjugated for the different persons in the present tense. 'Könnten' is the base form of the infinitive 'können' used specifically in the subjunctive mood, which changes its definition from 'can' to 'could'.

How do you politely ask a German if they speak English? ›

Cold-approaching a random German person and launching straight into “DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH???” is unlikely to win you any friends, but make an effort with “Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch?” or even simply “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” and you'll probably find someone who can do so and is happy to try to help you.

Is there a pattern to German articles? ›

In German, definite articles change according to their gender, case, and number. But we'll dive deeper into how to determine the gender of nouns and assign the correct articles later. Above, you'll see the three primary definite articles der, die, and das. The word “die” is also used in the plural form.

How do you pose questions in German? ›

You can use nearly any tense to ask a question. Then, simply conjugate the verb to the subject in the sentence using the proper tense. Place the conjugated verb first in the question and the subject second. The rest of the sentence should follow.

What is an example of an indirect question in German? ›

Examples of indirect questions with interrogative pronouns and adverbs:
  • Sie fragt, wer das Fenster geöffnet hat. (She asks who opened the window.)
  • Ich frage mich, was ich heute Abend kochen soll. (I wonder what I should cook tonight.)
  • Er möchte wissen, wo das Museum ist. (He wants to know where the museum is.)

Why do Germans mix up V and W? ›

The pronunciation of ⟨v⟩ is one of the few cases of ambiguity in German orthography. The German language normally uses ⟨f⟩ to indicate the sound /f/ (as used in the English word fight) and ⟨w⟩ to indicate the sound /v/ (as in victory).

What are the 4 extra alphabet in German? ›

While many say that the German alphabet has 26 letters just like English, there are also four additional letters in the German language: ä, ö, ü and ß. If you count these, this brings the count up to 30 letters.

How do you start a conversation in Germany? ›

Certain sentences and phrases can help you start a conversation. These include greetings like hallo (hello) or guten Tag (good day), questions like Wie geht's? (How are you?), Wie heißt du? (What's your name?), Wie findest du...? (How do you like...?) or Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me).

How do you use question marks in German? ›

A question mark in German indicates that you need to go up with your voice towards the end of the sentence. It's used at the end of questions, as well as with single question words. Like with the full stop or the exclamation mark, there is no space between the last word and the question mark. Wieso?

How do you ask someone out in Germany? ›

Lesson Transcript
  1. Möchtest du mit mir Abendessen gehen? “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?” ...
  2. Hast du dieses Wochenende Zeit? ...
  3. Möchtest du mit mir Zeit verbringen? ...
  4. Du bist so süß. ...
  5. Du siehst gut aus. ...
  6. Das war ein toller Abend. ...
  7. Ich werde dich nach Hause fahren. ...
  8. Wann sollen wir uns morgen treffen?

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Tuan Roob DDS

Last Updated:

Views: 5509

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tuan Roob DDS

Birthday: 1999-11-20

Address: Suite 592 642 Pfannerstill Island, South Keila, LA 74970-3076

Phone: +9617721773649

Job: Marketing Producer

Hobby: Skydiving, Flag Football, Knitting, Running, Lego building, Hunting, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Tuan Roob DDS, I am a friendly, good, energetic, faithful, fantastic, gentle, enchanting person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.