Ich habe eine Frage: Questions in German

In this post we’ll look at how to ask questions in German. First we’ll look at some general vocabulary that you can use when you want to ask a question. Then we’ll move on to question words in German. We’ll cover all of the important question words in German for what, who, where, when, how, how much/many, and why. Along the way we’ll point out any important grammar that you need to know when you ask questions in German.

General Vocabulary for Questions

Let’s start with some general vocabulary and expressions related to questions: eine Frage a question; ja yes; nein no; vielleicht maybe; oder or.

• Ich habe eine Frage.
  I have a question.
• Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?
  Can I ask you a question?
• Das weiß ich nicht.
  I don’t know.
• Ich bin mir nicht sicher.
  I’m not sure.

• Ich bin mir sicher.
  I am sure.
• Ist das Tee oder Kaffee?
  Is this tea or coffee?
• Möchten Sie Wasser oder Saft?
  Do you want water or juice?
• Ist das dein/Ihr Hotel?
  Is this your hotel?
• Ja, das ist mein Hotel.
  Yes, it’s my hotel.
• Nein, das ist nicht mein Hotel.
  No, it’s not my hotel.

GRAMMAR NOTE

Notice the inverted word order in German yes/no questions. You never have to use a helping verb like do or does in simple tenses.

• Das ist dein Hotel.
  This is your hotel.
• Ist das dein Hotel?
  Is this your hotel?
• Sie sprechen Englisch.
  You speak English.
• Sprechen Sie Englisch?
  Do you speak English?

German Question Words

Now let’s move on to questions with question words. We’ll cover all of the most important German question words in this section.

Was? What?

To ask what, use was. (But if you don’t understand what someone has said, don’t say “Was?” Instead, say “Wie, bitte?”)

• Was ist das?
  What is this?
• Was machen Sie (da)? / Was machst du (da)?
  What are you doing?

Wer? Who?

To ask who, use wer. Wer becomes wen if it’s the direct object (Wen siehst du? Who(m) do you see?) and wem if it’s the indirect object or the object of many prepositions (Mit wem? With whom?)

• Wer ist das?
  Who is that?
• Mit wem reisen Sie?
  Who are you traveling with?

Wo? Where?

To ask where, use wo. But wo is where as in location. If you want to ask where to, use wohin, and where from is woher.

• Wo ist die Toilette?
  Where’s the bathroom?
• Wo wohnen Sie?
  Where do you live?
• Wohin gehen Sie?
  Where are you going?
• Woher kommen Sie?
  Where are you from?

Wann? When?

To ask when, use wann. A related question is um wieviel Uhr? at what time?

• Wann kommen Sie an/reisen Sie ab?
  When do you arrive/leave?
• Wann gehst du?
  When are you going?
• Wann kommt der Zug an / fährt der Zug ab?
  When does the train arrive/leave?
• Wann macht das Geschäft auf / zu?
  When does the store open/close?
• Um wieviel Uhr fängt der Film an?
  At what time does the film start?

Wie? How?

To ask how, use wie.

• Wie sagt man <hello> auf Deutsch?
  How do you say <hello> in German?
• Wie kommen Sie zur Arbeit?
  How do you go to work?
• Wie sieht er/sie aus?
  What does he/she look like? (Lit, how does he/she look?)
• Wie heißt du? Wie heißen Sie?
  What’s your name? (Lit, how are you called?)

Wieviel How much?

To ask how much, use wieviel. To ask how many, use wie viele.

• Was/wieviel kostet das?
  How much does this cost?
• Wie viele Personen?
  How many people?
• Wieviel Zeit haben wir?
  How much time do we have?
• Wie viel Zucker willst du?
  How much sugar do you want?

Warum? Why?

To ask why, use warum.

• Warum sind Sie hier?
  Why are you here?
• Warum bist du traurig?
  Why is he/she sad?
• Ich bin traurig, weil es regnet.
  He/She is sad because it’s raining.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to ask questions in German and how to use German question words. If you’d like to learn more, check out our other posts on German language, culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live German lessons with a real teacher, check out The Language Garage German. Our lessons are given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work. We can come to you. And we have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!

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