How to Ask Questions in German

Asking questions is the key to gaining knowledge in any field, and this holds true for your path to learning German.

Understanding how to ask questions in German unlocks many opportunities. You just need to grasp the fundamentals of German questions and the words used to form them, so let's dive in.

German Question Words

One of the most straightforward methods to ask a question in any language is to use a question word. If you've ever asked who, what, when, where, or why, you're already headed in the right direction.

Here are some common German question words, along with a few sample 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

Wann hast 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?

Wo ist meine Brille? Where are my glasses?

Warum — Why

Warum sprichst du Deutsch? Why do you speak German?

Warum bist 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?

As with most fundamental vocabulary in German, you should commit these question words to memory so you can use them when needed.

But if you want to learn more, keep reading. We have additional questions for you!

Yes or No Questions in German

Yes or no questions are likely the simplest type. As the name suggests, these are queries that can be answered with a simple ja oder nein (yes or no). These questions always begin with a verb.

First, select the appropriate tense for the question you wish to ask. You can use almost any tense to form a question. Then, conjugate the verb to match the subject in the sentence according to the chosen tense.

Position the conjugated verb at the start of the question and the subject right after it. The rest of the sentence follows.

Questions that start with verbs are somewhat limited in scope. However, this structure does make it simpler to answer them.

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 involves switching the positions of the main verb and the subject.

You can also use conditional responses like vielleicht (maybe), wahrscheinlich (probably), eigentlich nicht (not really), or many others.

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 needs more than one verb, the additional verbs are placed at the very end.

Können Sie mir helfen? Can you help me?

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

Here we are using two verbs: können (can) and helfen (to help). Conjugate the first verb and place it at the beginning, as we did previously.

The second verb goes at the very end, and in this case, it remains in its base form without conjugation.

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 and placed at the beginning. Then we have our subject, du, and our object, deine Hausaufgaben. At the end, we have the second necessary verb: gemacht (done).

This time, the second verb is conjugated. This is because we are using a verb tense that requires it. You can find more information on German verb tenses and word order here.

Forming questions with a verb is as simple as choosing a verb and creating a question from it. Try creating a few yourself!

To observe these various German question words and structures being used, you can watch how native speakers employ them on Lingflix. Lingflix uses authentic videos—such as music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks—and transforms them into personalized language learning lessons.You can try Lingflix for free for 2 weeks. Visit the website to learn more.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 someone's actions is one thing, but adding nuance to the question can be straightforward as well.

For example, consider some questions you might ask a friend. If you're asking something and expect a specific response, you'll likely convey that through your tone.

For example:

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

Depending on the context and the speaker's intonation, adding "right?" can imply different things. Here, the speaker might be seeking confirmation of attendance for the party on Saturday night.

Another highly adaptable way to check if something is true is to use oder at the end of your statement:

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

Using the term richtig (right) can also serve as a statement addition. The terms oder, nicht wahr, and richtig are almost always interchangeable. Each one seeks a confirming response from the listener.

These kinds of additions could be viewed as indirect questions. Indirect questions don't use question marks but incorporate some of the same phrasing you'd find in direct questions.

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 places the question word first, while the same word comes later in the indirect question below it.

Most often, you'll hear the indirect question after the direct question has been posed, serving as a polite way to ask for a response again.

Using Prepositions to Ask German Questions

Just like verbs, prepositions can be used to introduce a question. You'll need to move any prepositions to the start of the question, and sometimes this even involves creating a compound word.

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

Wovon redest du? What are you talking about?

A literal translation like "What-about are you talking?" doesn't work well in English. We don't have a compound word like that to begin with. This is where direct translation can lead to confusion.

Woher kommst du? / Wo kommst du her? Where do you come from?

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

When using the question word wo (where) to indicate motion or direction, you'll usually need to add an equivalent of "to" or "from." This is where woher (where-from) and wohin (where-to) become essential.

However, after explaining the rule about moving prepositions and compounds to the beginning, this is actually one area where the German rule is starting to relax and resemble English usage more closely.

Most German textbooks will still teach you sentences like Woher kommst du? But if you actually go to Germany, you'll frequently hear people say Wo kommst du her?

Another simple example of prepositions starting a sentence is this one:

Mit wem arbeitest du? Who do you work with?

The most direct translation would be "With whom do you work?" The issue is that most English speakers don't typically phrase it that way anymore, so it might feel a bit strange to think of it like that.

This is because the wo- words like wovon and womit can only refer to objects or ideas. When referring to people, you must 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 within the question itself.

This is quite simple to do in both speech and writing. Start with the question you've already formed and then place the person's name before everything else.

Alternatively, you can also put 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 instance, the answer can be formed using the question word (woher), the verb (hast), or the preposition (gegen), as we discussed earlier.

How to Practice Asking Questions in German

Although we've provided several examples for you, here are some resources you can use to further hone your questioning skills.

• Quizlet: If you prefer flashcards, take a look at this set on Quizlet. Study the question words with the flashcards and then use the site's tools to test yourself in various ways, from typing the correct English word to selecting the meaning from the options provided. This game is excellent for beginners, as it offers suggestions for further study if you answer incorrectly. For more advanced learners, Quizlet also provides several conversation starter resources.
• PurposeGames: This German question game on PurposeGames, a site with educational games, challenges your knowledge of question words and their meanings. After matching the correct meanings to their German counterparts, you'll get a scorecard showing your performance. You can play this game as many times as you like.
• Deutsche Welle (German Wave): For a great example of how to ask questions, watch this mock interview from Deutsche Welle, a German broadcasting service. It will help prepare you for a real interview or simply let you practice asking and answering questions in German. The most important thing, as with any conversation, is to remember to speak clearly and calmly to get your message across.
• Experteer: For even more practice, you can use these interview questions on Experteer, a recruitment and career platform, to prepare for any job opportunities you might find in Germany. Or, find a friend or family member and try role-playing to see how many questions you can answer.

Learning is all about asking questions and searching for knowledge.

Satisfy your curiosity by exploring further—you never know what new insights you'll discover!