How to ask questions with 9 question words
Asking questions correctly is the key to starting a conversation in German. This lesson helps you master the 9 core question words, the sentence structure, and the differences that are very often confused in conversation.
The 9 basic question words
| German | Meaning | Quick reminder |
|---|---|---|
| was | what | asks about things/events |
| wo | where | current location |
| woher | from where | origin / starting point |
| wohin | to where | direction of movement |
| wer | who | person |
| wann | when | time |
| warum | why | reason |
| welche | which | choice |
| wie | how | manner / personal information |
How to form questions
- W-Frage: question word + verb + subject + the rest.
- Ja/Nein-Frage: verb + subject + the rest.
- Don't translate word for word from Vietnamese into German; for example Wie heißen Sie? and not Was heißen Sie?
In German, just by changing the position of the question word, the verb, and the subject, you can already form many basic questions to start a conversation, get to know someone, or ask for information.
Telling wo, woher, and wohin apart
- wo asks about a current location: where?
- woher asks about origin or starting point: from where?
- wohin asks about the direction of movement: to where?
Wann beginnt der Kurs?
When does the course begin?
Woher kommst du?
Where do you come from?
Wohin gehst du dieses Wochenende?
Where are you going this weekend?
Extended question words worth knowing
- seit wann: since when
- mit wem: with whom
- wie lange: how long
- wie viel / wie viele: how much / how many
- wessen: whose
Besides the 9 basic question words, the original lesson also stresses that wer and welch- are two groups that change according to case/gender. So if you study at a higher level, watch out for the forms wen, wem, wessen or welcher, welche, welches...
Mẹo học nhanh
Don't learn question words in isolation. Learn them as short question-answer pairs so you remember the question word, the word order, and a natural way to answer all at once.