German grammar · Beginner (A1)
Asking questions
How to ask yes/no questions and questions with wer, was, wo and wie, and how to answer with ja, nein and doch.
Yes/no questions: verb first
To ask a question that can be answered with (yes) or (no), put the conjugated verb at the start. There is no helping word like English “do”.
- Sprechen Sie Englisch?Do you speak English?
- Hast du heute Zeit?Do you have time today?
- Kommst du mit?Are you coming along?
- Ist das Restaurant weit von hier?Is the restaurant far from here?
Question words
For open questions, start with a question word. The verb comes second, then the subject. Most German question words start with w.
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who? | ||
| what? | ||
| where? | ||
| where from? | ||
| where to? | ||
| when? | ||
| how? | ||
| why? | ||
| how much? | ||
| how many? | ||
| / / | which? |
Wer, wen, wem
(who) changes with the case: in the accusative and in the dative. English sometimes uses “whom” in the same way.
- Wer hat angerufen?Who called?
- Wen besuchst du am Wochenende?Who are you visiting at the weekend?
- Wem gehört die Tasche?Whose bag is this?
Answering with doch
To say “yes” to a negative question, use instead of . It contradicts the negative.
- Kommst du nicht mit? – Doch, ich komme mit.Aren't you coming? – Yes, I am.
- Hast du keinen Hunger? – Doch!Aren't you hungry? – Yes, I am.
Polite indirect questions
In polite indirect questions starting with , … or , …, the verb goes to the end.
- Wissen Sie, wo der Bahnhof ist?Do you know where the station is?
- Können Sie mir sagen, wann der Zug fährt?Can you tell me when the train leaves?