Language/German/Grammar/Questions
Hi German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on German questions. Asking questions is an essential part of language learning, and German has some interesting twists when it comes to question formation. But don't worry, we'll guide you through it step by step. Let's get started!
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Gender, Be Polite, Prepositions & Adjectives.
Basic question words[edit | edit source]
In German, there are five basic question words that you need to know:
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Wer | "vair" | Who |
| Was | "vahs" | What |
| Wann | "vahn" | When |
| Wo | "voh" | Where |
| Warum | "vah-room" | Why |
These question words are used to ask for information. For example:
- Wer ist das? ("vair ist dass") - Who is that?
- Was machst du? ("vahs mahkst doo") - What are you doing?
- Wann kommst du? ("vahn kohmst doo") - When are you coming?
- Wo wohnst du? ("voh voh-nst doo") - Where do you live?
- Warum lernst du Deutsch? ("vah-room lehrnst doo doytch") - Why are you learning German?
Inverted word order[edit | edit source]
In English, you often form questions by just adding a question word to a statement. For example:
- You are coming. -> Are you coming?
In German, questions are often formed by inverting the subject and the verb. For example:
- Du kommst. ("doo kohmst") - You are coming.
- Kommst du? ("kohmst doo") - Are you coming?
Notice that the verb "kommst" comes before the subject "du" in the question. This is called inverted word order. Here are some more examples:
- Ich spiele Tennis. ("ikh shpee-leh ten-nis") - I play tennis.
- Spielst du Tennis? ("shpeelst doo ten-nis") - Do you play tennis?
It's important to note that only statements can be turned into questions using inverted word order. Other types of sentences use a different type of question formation.
Modal verbs[edit | edit source]
In German, when asking a question with a modal verb like "can", "should", or "must", the modal verb comes first. For example:
- Ich kann schwimmen. ("ikh kahn shvim-men") - I can swim.
- Kannst du schwimmen? ("kahnst doo shvim-men") - Can you swim?
Notice that "kann" comes before "du" in the question. Here are some more examples:
- Du sollst lernen. ("doo sollst lehr-nen") - You should study.
- Sollst du lernen? ("sollst doo lehr-nen") - Should you study?
Yes/no questions[edit | edit source]
Some questions in German can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". These questions are formed by inverting the subject and the verb, just like other types of questions. For example:
- Bist du müde? ("beest doo myoo-deh") - Are you tired? (literally: "Are you tired?")
- Haben Sie Geschwister? ("hah-ben zee gesh-viss-ter") - Do you have siblings? (literally: "Have you siblings?")
Notice that in German, it's common to use a question word even for yes/no questions.
Question tags[edit | edit source]
In German, you can add a question tag to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. Question tags are short phrases that confirm or negate the statement. For example:
- Du bist müde, oder? ("doo beest myoo-deh oder") - You're tired, aren't you? (literally: "You are tired, or?")
- Sie haben Geschwister, oder? ("zee hah-ben gesh-viss-ter oder") - You have siblings, don't you? (literally: "You have siblings, or?")
The word "oder" at the end of the question tag means "or". It's also common to use "nicht wahr?", which means "isn't it?" or "right?"
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
To practice German questions, here's a dialogue between two people:
- Person 1: Was machst du am Wochenende? ("vahs mahkst doo am vo-khen-en-deh?") (What are you doing this weekend?)
- Person 2: Ich gehe schwimmen. ("ikh ge-heh shvim-men") (I'm going swimming.)
- Person 1: Wann gehst du schwimmen? ("vahn gehst doo shvim-men?") (When are you going swimming?)
- Person 2: Samstag um 14 Uhr. ("zam-stahk oom feehr-tsehhn oor") (Saturday at 2pm.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
That's it for German questions! Remember, if you have any questions, you can always find native speakers and ask them any questions on Polyglot Club. Keep practicing and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Viel Glück! 😊
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Questions in German Grammar
- How to ask questions in German (+ 70 Examples)
- German exercises - practice grammar online
Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Gender, Plurals, Plural Forms & Pronouns in German.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Past Tense Part 1 Perfect Tense
- Prepositions
- Be Polite
- Future Tense
- Negation
- How to Use Be
- Present Tense
- Pronouns in German
- Inflections of adjectives
- Definite Articles in German