Table of Contents
Understanding Question Words in German
In this chapter you learn how to ask basic questions in German using common question words. You already know how to form simple main clauses, so now you will see how to turn information into questions.
What Are Question Words?
German question words are called “W‑Fragen,” because most of them begin with the letter W. They help you ask for specific information, such as a person, a time, a reason, or a manner.
Important: In German, the question word always comes first, then the verb, then the subject.
Example:
„Wo wohnst du?“
Question word: wo, Verb: wohnst, Subject: du
This word order is the same for all W‑questions you learn in this chapter.
Wer – Asking about a person (who)
Use wer to ask about the person who does something, similar to “who” in English.
Examples:
„Wer ist das?“ – Who is that?
„Wer kommt heute?“ – Who is coming today?
Notice that wer is the subject of the sentence in these questions.
Pattern: Wer + Verb + … ?
Example: Wer ist das?
Wie – Asking about manner and basic personal info
The word wie usually means “how.” It asks about manner, condition, or in some fixed expressions basic information.
Examples:
„Wie geht es dir?“ – How are you?
„Wie heißt du?“ – What is your name?
„Wie alt ist sie?“ – How old is she?
You will often hear wie in greetings and introductions.
Pattern: Wie + Verb + Subject + … ?
Example: Wie geht es dir?
Wo, Woher, Wohin – Asking about place
German has three very common question words for place. They are similar, but each focuses on a different aspect of location.
Wo – Where (location)
Use wo to ask about a fixed place or position.
Examples:
„Wo bist du?“ – Where are you?
„Wo wohnt deine Familie?“ – Where does your family live?
Woher – From where
Use woher when you want to know the origin or starting point.
Examples:
„Woher kommst du?“ – Where do you come from?
„Woher kommt deine Freundin?“ – Where does your (female) friend come from?
Wohin – To where
Use wohin when you ask for a destination or direction.
Examples:
„Wohin gehst du?“ – Where are you going (to)?
„Wohin fährt deine Mutter?“ – Where is your mother driving to?
Wo = Where (location, no movement)
Woher = From where
Wohin = To where
Was – Asking about things (what)
Use was to ask about things, actions, or ideas, not about people.
Examples:
„Was ist das?“ – What is that?
„Was machst du?“ – What are you doing?
„Was trinkt dein Vater?“ – What is your father drinking?
Pattern: Was + Verb + Subject + … ?
Example: Was machst du?
Wann – Asking about time (when)
Use wann to ask about a specific time or moment.
Examples:
„Wann kommst du?“ – When are you coming?
„Wann hat dein Bruder Geburtstag?“ – When is your brother’s birthday?
„Wann besucht ihr eure Großeltern?“ – When do you visit your grandparents?
Do not confuse wann with words for days and dates. Those are answers, not question words.
Warum – Asking about reasons (why)
Use warum when you want to know the reason for something.
Examples:
„Warum lernst du Deutsch?“ – Why are you learning German?
„Warum kommt er nicht?“ – Why is he not coming?
„Warum besucht ihr eure Freunde?“ – Why are you visiting your friends?
You can answer warum often with weil (because), which you will learn in more detail later.
Pattern: Warum + Verb + Subject + … ?
Example: Warum lernst du Deutsch?
Wie viele – Asking about quantity (how many)
To ask about a number of things, use wie viele followed by a plural noun.
Examples:
„Wie viele Geschwister hast du?“ – How many siblings do you have?
„Wie viele Kinder hat deine Tante?“ – How many children does your aunt have?
„Wie viele Freunde kommen heute?“ – How many friends are coming today?
Pattern: Wie viele + plural noun + Verb + Subject + … ?
Example: Wie viele Geschwister hast du?
Word Order in W‑Questions
All these question words follow the same basic pattern. Here are some model sentences connected to family and friends.
| Question in German | Structure | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Wer ist das? | Wer + Verb + … | Who is that? |
| Wie heißt deine Schwester? | Wie + Verb + Subject + … | What is your sister’s name? |
| Wo wohnt deine Familie? | Wo + Verb + Subject + … | Where does your family live? |
| Woher kommt dein Freund? | Woher + Verb + Subject + … | Where does your friend come from? |
| Wohin geht ihr? | Wohin + Verb + Subject + … | Where are you going (to)? |
| Was macht deine Mutter? | Was + Verb + Subject + … | What is your mother doing? |
| Wann besucht ihr eure Eltern? | Wann + Verb + Subject + … | When do you visit your parents? |
| Warum kommt deine Schwester? | Warum + Verb + Subject + … | Why is your sister coming? |
| Wie viele Cousins hast du? | Wie viele + Noun + Verb + Subject | How many cousins do you have? |
General pattern for W‑questions:
Question word + conjugated verb + subject + … ?
Vocabulary List
| German | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| wer | who | asks about a person as subject |
| wie | how | also used in fixed phrases (Wie heißt du?) |
| wo | where | location, no movement |
| woher | from where | origin |
| wohin | to where | direction, destination |
| was | what | asks about things or actions |
| wann | when | asks about time |
| warum | why | asks about reasons |
| wie viele | how many | followed by a plural noun |
| Geschwister | siblings | plural only |
| Cousin | male cousin | singular, masculine |
| Cousine | female cousin | singular, feminine |
| Familie | family | |
| Freund | (male) friend / boyfriend | context decides meaning |
| Freundin | (female) friend / girlfriend | context decides meaning |
| besuchen | to visit | regular verb |
| kommen | to come | irregular verb |
| gehen | to go | irregular verb |
| wohnen | to live (reside) | regular verb |