Asking Questions (Junior Cert German): Revision Notes
Asking Questions
Overview
Learning how to ask questions is essential for German conversation. Whether you're visiting a German-speaking country or chatting with German speakers, you'll need to know how to form questions properly. Questions help you gather information, start conversations, and navigate daily situations confidently.
German questions follow specific patterns that are different from English, but once you understand the rules, forming questions becomes straightforward.
There are two main types of questions in German:
- Open questions - using question words (W-words)
- Closed questions - yes/no questions that don't require question words
The W-words (Die W-Wörter)
All German question words begin with the letter 'w', making them easy to remember as a group. These question words are the building blocks for asking specific information questions in German.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wo? | Where? |
| Wann? | When? |
| Was? | What? |
| Wer? | Who? |
| Wie? | How? |
| Warum? | Why? |
| Woher? | Where from? |
| Wohin? | Where to? |
Pronunciation Key: All German W-words are pronounced with a 'v' sound, not a 'w' sound like in English. Practice saying "vo" instead of "wo" to get the correct pronunciation.
Rules & formation
Open questions with W-words
When you use a question word in German, the sentence follows a specific pattern:
Question word + Verb + Subject + (other elements)
The question word always comes first, followed immediately by the verb in second position. The subject comes after the verb, which is different from English word order.
Closed questions (Yes/No questions)
For questions that can be answered with 'yes' or 'no', German doesn't use a question word. Instead, the sentence structure changes:
Verb + Subject + (other elements)
The verb moves to the very beginning of the sentence, and the subject follows in second position.
Key question words with examples
Wann? (When?)
Use wann to ask about time or when something happens.
Usage Example: Asking about time
Wann öffnet das Museum?
When does the museum open?
This example shows the typical pattern: question word → verb (öffnet) → subject (das Museum).
Was? (What?)
Use was to ask about things, objects, or actions.
Usage Example: Asking about thoughts
Was denkst du?
What do you think?
Wer? (Who?)
Use wer to ask about people. Note that wer functions as the subject in this type of question.
Usage Example: Asking about people
Wer kommt zur Party?
Who is coming to the party?
In this example, wer is actually the subject of the sentence, so the pattern becomes: question word/subject → verb → object/location.
Wo? (Where?)
Use wo to ask about location or where something is situated.
Usage Example: Asking about location
Wo liegt die Kirche?
Where is the church?
Woher? (Where from?)
Use woher to ask about origin or where someone/something comes from.
Usage Example: Asking about origin
Woher kommst du?
Where do you come from?
Helpful tip: The suffix -her can be separated and moved to the end of the question without changing the meaning:
Wo kommst du her?
Where do you come from?
Wohin? (Where to?)
Use wohin to ask about destination or direction.
Usage Examples: Asking about destination
Wohin fährst du?
Where are you going to?
Wohin fährst du in den Ferien?
Where are you going to in the holidays?
Like woher, the suffix -hin can be detached and placed at the end:
Wo fährst du morgen hin? Where are you travelling to tomorrow?
Wie? (How?)
Use wie to ask about manner, method, or condition.
Usage Examples: Asking 'how'
Wie geht's dir?
How are you?
Wie can combine with other words to create new question phrases:
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it? (literally: How late is it?)
Warum? (Why?)
Use warum to ask about reasons or causes.
Usage Example: Asking about reasons
Warum lernen wir Fragewörter?
Why are we learning question words?
Regional Variation: Wieso and weshalb also mean 'why' in German. Wieso is more commonly used in southern Germany, showing regional variation in the language.
Yes/no questions
When asking questions that expect a 'yes' or 'no' answer, German doesn't use question words. Instead, the verb moves to the first position:
Yes/No Question Example
Bist du bereit?
Are you ready?
The structure becomes: Verb + Subject + Object/Location
This type of question is also called a 'closed question' because it limits the possible answers to yes or no responses.
Common mistakes & tips
Word Order Confusion
Mistake: Keeping English word order in German questions.
Correction: Always remember that the verb must be in second position when using question words, and in first position for yes/no questions.
Mixing Up Similar Question Words
Mistake: Confusing wer (who) with wo (where) because they look similar.
Tip: Remember that wer asks about people, while wo asks about places.
Detachable Suffixes
Mistake: Not recognising that woher and wohin can be split.
Tip: Practice both forms: "Woher kommst du?" and "Wo kommst du her?" mean exactly the same thing.
Key Points to Remember:
- All German question words start with the letter w and are pronounced with a 'v' sound
- In questions with question words: Question word + Verb + Subject
- In yes/no questions: Verb + Subject (no question word needed)
- Woher and wohin can be split, with -her or -hin moving to the end of the sentence
- The verb is always in second position when a question word starts the sentence
- Regional variations exist for some question words (like wieso vs warum for 'why')