Yes/No Questions & W-Questions
Asking questions is one of the first things you need in German: ordering food, finding the train station, getting to know people. The good news? German questions are simpler than English ones — there is no equivalent of "do" or "does". You just move the verb.
German has two question types: yes/no questions (the verb jumps to the first position) and W-questions (a question word comes first, the verb second). Master these two patterns and you can ask almost anything at A1 level.
Yes/No Questions: Verb First
To form a yes/no question (Ja/Nein-Frage), put the conjugated verb in position 1, followed by the subject. That's it — no helper word needed.
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| Du kommst aus Spanien. | Kommst du aus Spanien? |
| Sie spricht Englisch. | Spricht sie Englisch? |
| Ihr habt Zeit. | Habt ihr Zeit? |
The verb is still conjugated to match the subject — only its position changes. English needs "Do you come...?", but German simply says "Kommst du...?" (literally: "Come you...?").
W-Questions: Question Word + Verb + Subject
W-questions (W-Fragen) start with a question word, followed by the verb in position 2, then the subject.
| W-word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wer | who | Wer ist das? |
| was | what | Was machst du? |
| wo | where (location) | Wo wohnst du? |
| woher | where from | Woher kommst du? |
| wohin | where to | Wohin gehst du? |
| wann | when | Wann beginnt der Kurs? |
| wie | how | Wie heißt du? |
| warum | why | Warum lernst du Deutsch? |
| wie viel | how much | Wie viel kostet das? |
Watch out: German splits English "where" into three words: wo (location), woher (origin), wohin (direction).
Answering: ja, nein — and doch
Yes/no questions are answered with ja or nein:
- Kommst du mit? — Ja, gern! / Nein, leider nicht.
German has a third answer word English lacks: doch. Use it to contradict a negative question:
- Sprichst du kein Deutsch? — Doch! (= Yes, I do speak German!)
Answering ja to a negative question sounds confusing to Germans — doch makes your contradiction crystal clear.
📖 Examples
Kommst du aus Deutschland?
Do you come from Germany?
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Do you speak English? (formal)
Hast du Geschwister?
Do you have siblings?
Wo wohnst du?
Where do you live?
Woher kommt sie?
Where does she come from?
Wann beginnt der Film?
When does the film start?
Wie heißt du?
What is your name? (literally: How are you called?)
Warum lernst du Deutsch?
Why are you learning German?
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Tust du in Berlin wohnen?Wohnst du in Berlin?
German has no "do"-support. Never translate English "do/does" with *tun* or *machen* — just move the conjugated verb to position 1.
Du sprichst Deutsch?Sprichst du Deutsch?
Keeping statement word order and only raising your voice is very casual and often sounds like surprise, not a real question. In standard German, invert: verb first, then subject.
Wo gehst du?Wohin gehst du?
English uses "where" for both location and direction, but German distinguishes them: *wo* = where (at), *wohin* = where to, *woher* = where from.
Wer ist das Hotel?Wo ist das Hotel?
False friend alert: German *wer* looks like English "where" but means "who". For places, use *wo*.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which is the correct yes/no question?
___ wohnst du? — In München.
___ kommst du? — Aus Italien.
How do you ask a stranger "Do you speak German?" politely?
___ ist das? — Das ist mein Bruder.
___ kostet das Buch? — Zehn Euro.
___ du Kaffee? (trinken)
___ ihr heute Zeit? (haben)
Wann ___ der Film? (beginnen)
Wo ___ Sie? (wohnen)