Asking Questions
Learn how to form questions in German.
Imagine you're on a date with Marlene Dietrich and you want to get to know her better.
Hallo! Ich bin Marlene Dietrich.
How can you ask her questions in German?
In this lesson, we'll cover some important question words and phrases.
Let's start!
1. The 'W' Words
Take a look at the vocabulary table below:
- Wer?Who?
- Wie?How?
- Wo?Where?
- Was?What?
- Wann?When?
- Warum?Why?
- Welche?Which?
These are the key German w-questions (why, when, where, etc.) that you'll need to ask questions.
But how do we use them?
2. Basic Questions
Form One
To understand how to use these words, we need to look at some basic German grammar rules.
Usually, a basic w-question follows this structure:
Here are a few examples:
- Wo arbeitest du?Where do you work?
- Warum lachst du?Why are you laughing?
- Was isst du?What are you eating?
- Wie siehst du aus?How do you look like?
Now, let's add a direct object to the sentence.
Form Two
A w-question with an object typically follows this structure:
Here are some example questions, using this construction:
- Was für einen Beruf hast du?What job do you have?
- Wie viele Geschwister hast du?How many siblings do you have?
- Wo in Berlin wohnst du?Where do you live in Berlin?
Use the word picker below to practice building full sentences with this structure.
Your sentence:
Tap words below to build your sentence
Available words:
3. Yes / No Questions
Now, what about yes-no questions, like Do you have siblings? or Do you enjoy watching films?These questions don't start with a w-word.
For yes-no questions, the sentence structure is simple:
Just swap the positions of the subject and verb. The verb comes first, followed by the subject.
Here's an example of a regular sentence:
And here's the same sentence as a yes-no question:
Try turning the sentences below into yes-no questions by rearranging the subject and verb.
Click the grey bars to reveal the answers.
- Du möchtest eine Nachspeise essen.Möchtest du eine Nachspeise essen?
- Dir gefällt das Restaurant.Gefällt dir das Restaurant?
- Du spielst ein Instrument.Spielst du ein Instrument?
Well done! 🎉
Now you're forming questions in German!
With these two main sentence structures and the w-words we've learned, let's imagine our date with Marlene Dietrich.
3. Exercise: Forming Questions
Practice asking questions in German with this short dialogue example.
First, read through the dialogue carefully, then listen to the audio without looking at the text. Can you understand it?
If you need help, click on the blurred lines to reveal the English translations of the questions and answers.
«Hallo Marlene! Schön, dich kennenzulernen. Wollen wir uns setzen?»
Hello Marlene! Nice to meet you. Shall we sit down?
«Ja gerne. Möchtest du etwas trinken?»
I'm glad to meet you too. Would you like something to drink?
«Gute Idee. Trinkst du Alkohol?»
Good idea. Do you drink alcohol?
«Ja, ich trinke Alkohol. Entschuldigen Sie, Herr Kellner! Könnten wir bitte zwei Gläser Champagner haben?»
Yes, I drink alcohol. Excuse me, waiter! Could we please have two glasses of champagne?
«Perfekt, vielen Dank. Erzähl mir ein bisschen von dir. Wie lange bleibst du in Berlin?»
Perfect, thank you very much. Tell me a bit about yourself. How long are you staying in Berlin?
«Ich bleibe eine Woche lang in Berlin. Kennst du das Hotel Adlon? Dort habe ich ein zimmer reserviert.»
I'm staying in Berlin for a week. Do you know the Hotel Adlon? I have reserved a room there.
«Oh, schön! Was machst du denn in Berlin?»
Oh, lovely! What are you doing in Berlin?
«Ich bin zu Besuch bei der Familie. Wohnt deine Familie auch hier?»
I'm visiting family. Do your family also live here?
«Nein, meine Familie wohnt in Hamburg. Ich bin aber vor sechs Jahren nach Berlin gezogen.»
No, my family lives in Hamburg. I moved to Berlin six years ago.
«Warum hast du dich für Berlin entschieden?»
Why did you choose Berlin?
«Ich mag die Techno-Szene, das Bier und die schönen Seen hier. Wo wohnst du?»
I like the techno scene, the beer, and the beautiful lakes here. Where do you live?
«Ich wohne in Amerika.»
I live in America.
«Oh, interessant! Was für Hobbys hast du?»
Oh, interesting! What hobbies do you have?
«Ich schwimme gerne, tanze und spiele Karten. Und du?»
I enjoy swimming, dancing, and playing cards. And you?
«Ich singe gerne, schaue Filme und reise gerne.»
I enjoy singing, watching movies and travelling.
Well done! 🎉
You've completed this lesson! When you're ready, head over to the next one: At the Zoo.
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