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German Question Words and How to Form Questions

German has two question types and both are structurally simple. A W-question opens with a question word and puts the verb second. A yes/no question puts the verb first. There is no equivalent of English do in either.

The question words

wer (who), was (what), wo (where), wann (when), wie (how), warum (why), welcher (which), wie viel / wie viele (how much, how many).

Three of them are a single English word split into three in German. Wo asks where something is. Woher asks where someone comes from. Wohin asks where someone is going. English uses where for all three, so this distinction has to be learned deliberately.

Wer also declines: wen in the accusative, wem in the dative. Wen siehst du? — whom do you see.

Yes/no questions put the verb first

To ask a yes/no question, move the verb to the front: Du sprichst Deutsch becomes Sprichst du Deutsch?

There is no auxiliary to insert. English builds questions with do — do you speak German — and learners often reach for a German equivalent that does not exist. Inversion alone does the whole job.

Wie combines with other words

Wie is the most productive of the question words because it pairs with others to ask about quantity and extent. Wie viel (how much), wie viele (how many), wie lange (how long), wie oft (how often), wie weit (how far), wie alt (how old).

These are written as two words, which learners often get wrong, and wie viel and wie viele are not interchangeable: the plural form goes with countable things. Wie viele Kinder haben Sie? but Wie viel kostet das?

Together these cover most of what a form or an official conversation will ask you, which is exactly the A1 setting.

Examples

• Woher kommen Sie?Where do you come from?
• Trinkst du heute Tee?Are you drinking tea today?

Mistakes to avoid

The recurring errors are using wo where the sentence needs woher or wohin, and building a question with a borrowed English auxiliary instead of simply inverting.

• ✗ Wo gehst du?✓ Wohin gehst du?
• ✗ Wo kommst du?✓ Woher kommst du?
• ✗ Wie viel Kinder hast du?✓ Wie viele Kinder hast du?
• ✗ Trinkst du keinen Kaffee? — Ja, ich trinke Kaffee.✓ Trinkst du keinen Kaffee? — Doch, ich trinke gern Kaffee.
• ✗ Du wohnst in Berlin?✓ Wohnst du in Berlin?

How this is tested in the exam

Asking questions is an assessed skill, not just a comprehension one. Sprechen Teil 2 gives you keyword cards and requires you to form a question from them and answer your partner's. A candidate who can only answer loses marks in a part designed around asking.

Frequently asked questions

What are the German question words?

wer, was, wo, wann, wie, warum, welcher and wie viel. Wer changes form by case: wen in the accusative, wem in the dative.

What is the difference between wo, woher and wohin?

Wo asks where something is, woher asks where someone comes from, and wohin asks where someone is going. English uses where for all three.

How do you make a yes/no question in German?

Put the conjugated verb first and the subject second: Sprichst du Deutsch? There is no German equivalent of the English auxiliary do.

Where does the verb go in a W-question?

Second, straight after the question word: Wann kommst du? The question word occupies the first position.