Language/German/Grammar/Questions

German Grammar - How to Ask Questions

Hi German learners! 😊
In today's lesson, we will be discussing how to ask questions in German. Asking questions is an important part of any language, and it can be tricky to get the hang of it. But don't worry, with a bit of practice you'll be able to ask questions like a pro!

Basic Question Structure

The basic structure for asking questions in German is very similar to English. You start with the verb, followed by the subject, and then the rest of the sentence. For example:

• Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me?)
• Hast du Zeit? (Do you have time?)

Inversion

In German, you can also use a technique called "inversion" to ask questions. This means that you switch the order of the verb and the subject. For example:

• Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me?)
• Hast du Zeit? (Do you have time?)

Inversion is often used when asking questions with modal verbs, such as können, müssen, and wollen. For example:

• Können wir das machen? (Can we do that?)
• Müssen wir das machen? (Must we do that?)
• Wollen wir das machen? (Do we want to do that?)

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are questions that can be answered with either "yes" or "no". To form a yes/no question, you simply add the word oder (or) at the end of the sentence. For example:

• Kannst du mir helfen oder? (Can you help me?)
• Hast du Zeit oder? (Do you have time?)

Tag Questions

Tag questions are questions that are added to the end of a statement. They are usually used to confirm something or to check if the other person agrees. To form a tag question, you add the word nicht (not) at the end of the sentence. For example:

• Du kannst mir helfen, nicht? (You can help me, right?)
• Du hast Zeit, nicht? (You have time, right?)

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