Questions
Ask natural yes/no and W-questions.
The rule
For a yes/no question, start with the conjugated verb. For a W-question, put the question word first and the verb second.
Kommst du heute? | Wann kommst du?
A yes/no question begins with the conjugated verb, followed by the subject: Arbeitest du heute? It asks whether the whole proposition is true and can normally be answered with ja, nein, or doch.
A W-question begins with a question word. The conjugated verb occupies position two and the subject usually follows: Wo wohnst du? Warum lernt ihr Deutsch?
Choose the question word by the missing information: wer for a person, was for a thing or action, wo for location, wohin for destination, woher for origin, wann for time, warum for reason, and wie for manner or condition.
The two direct-question frames
The conjugated verb is the anchor in both patterns.
| Question type | Position 1 | Position 2 | Next | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yes/no | verb | subject | rest | Arbeitest du heute? |
| W-question | W-word | verb | subject | Wo arbeitest du? |
| subject question | wer / was | verb | rest | Wer arbeitet heute? |
Core question words
| Question word | Asks about | Example | Typical answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| wer | person | Wer kommt? | Mara. |
| was | thing / action | Was liest du? | Ein Buch. |
| wo | location | Wo wohnst du? | In Köln. |
| wohin | destination | Wohin fährst du? | Nach Berlin. |
| woher | origin | Woher kommen Sie? | Aus Indien. |
| wann | time | Wann beginnt es? | Um acht. |
| warum | reason | Warum lernst du? | Für meine Arbeit. |
| wie | manner / condition | Wie geht es dir? | Gut, danke. |
Useful question phrases with wie
| Phrase | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| wie viel | amount / price | Wie viel kostet das? | How much does that cost? |
| wie viele | countable number | Wie viele Gäste kommen? | How many guests are coming? |
| wie lange | duration | Wie lange bleibst du? | How long are you staying? |
| wie oft | frequency | Wie oft lernst du? | How often do you study? |
| wie spät | clock time | Wie spät ist es? | What time is it? |
German examples with English meanings
Hast du Zeit?
Do you have time?
verb-first question
Woher kommen Sie?
Where do you come from?
formal address
Warum lernst du Deutsch?
Why are you learning German?
reason
Wer arbeitet heute?
Who is working today?
Wer is the subject
Was liest du?
What are you reading?
Was is the object
Wohin fährt der Bus?
Where is the bus going?
destination
Wie lange bleibt ihr?
How long are you staying?
duration
Wie viel kostet das Zimmer?
How much does the room cost?
price
Du hast Zeit. → Hast du Zeit?
You have time. → Do you have time?
Ihr kommt morgen. → Kommt ihr morgen?
You are coming tomorrow. → Are you coming tomorrow?
Sie kaufen hier ein. → Kaufen Sie hier ein?
You shop here. → Do you shop here?
Wo ist der Bahnhof?
Where is the station?
Wohin gehst du?
Where are you going?
Woher kommt der Zug?
Where does the train come from?
Arbeiten Sie hier? Was machen Sie genau?
Do you work here? What exactly do you do?
Fährst du gern Rad? Wie oft fährst du?
Do you like cycling? How often do you cycle?
Kommst du morgen? Um wie viel Uhr?
Are you coming tomorrow? At what time?
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Wo du wohnst?
Correct: Wo wohnst du?
In a direct W-question, the verb is second.
Incorrect: Du hast Zeit?
Correct: Hast du Zeit?
Neutral yes/no questions begin with the verb.
Incorrect: Wann der Kurs beginnt?
Correct: Wann beginnt der Kurs?
The conjugated verb follows the question word.
Incorrect: Woher Sie kommen?
Correct: Woher kommen Sie?
Formal Sie follows the conjugated verb.
Incorrect: Wer er kommt heute?
Correct: Wer kommt heute?
Wer already functions as the subject, so do not add er.
Details and useful distinctions
Question phrases can contain more than one word: wie viel asks an amount or price, wie viele asks a countable number, wie lange asks duration, and wie oft asks frequency. The whole phrase occupies position one.
When wer is the subject, no separate subject follows: Wer kommt heute? When was is the object, the normal subject remains: Was kaufst du? This difference explains two structures that initially look similar.
Formal Sie follows the same frames and remains capitalised: Arbeiten Sie hier? Woher kommen Sie? Informal plural ihr uses its own verb ending: Kommt ihr heute?
Find the conjugated verb and move it before the subject. Du arbeitest heute becomes Arbeitest du heute? The remaining information keeps its natural order.
With multi-part verbs, only the conjugated part moves. Du kaufst heute ein becomes Kaufst du heute ein? Du musst heute arbeiten becomes Musst du heute arbeiten?
Use wo for a fixed location, wohin for movement toward a destination, and woher for movement or origin from somewhere. The verbs and prepositions in the answer reinforce the distinction.
Compare Wo bist du? — In Berlin. Wohin fährst du? — Nach Berlin. Woher kommst du? — Aus Berlin. English often uses where for all three, so learn the German direction contrast explicitly.
A natural conversation mixes yes/no questions with open W-questions. A yes/no question establishes a topic; a W-question invites detail: Lernst du Deutsch? Warum lernst du Deutsch?
Short follow-up questions such as Und du?, Wirklich?, Warum?, and Wie oft? can sound natural, but full question frames are essential when the context is not already clear.
Practise this grammar
Keep two spoken frames ready: VERB–person? and W–VERB–person? Then choose the question word by the exact information you need.
For source references and editorial level notes, see the grammar reference. You can report a correction if an explanation or example seems wrong.