Syntax

Questions

Fragen

We create questions in German in two ways: with the interrogative pronoun or without it. We answer yes/no to questions without the interrogative pronoun. For questions with the interrogative pronoun, the answer is more complex.

Sample questions

  • Translation
  • 🤔 Did you do your homework? 👉 Yes.
  • Translation
  • What did Erik tell you?
  • Explanation
  • Was - interrogative pronoun

Construction of interrogative sentences (questions)

Questions without the interrogative pronoun

The verb is at the beginning of the sentence and the subject (person or thing performing the activity) is directly behind it. The rest of the sentence remains the same.

  • Translation
  • Are you going to school today?
Questions with the interrogative pronoun
Question about the subject

The interrogative pronoun stands at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb. The rest of the sentence remains unchanged.

  • Translation
  • Who gave you the key?
  • Explanation
  • Wer - interrogative pronoun; geben - gab - gegeben (to give); subject is the person who gave the key
A question about the object (about people) in which there is a preposition

Preposition is at the beginning of the sentence followed directly by an interrogative pronoun, a verb, and the subject.

  • Translation
  • Who are you going running with?
  • Explanation
  • Mit wem - preposition with an interrogative pronoun
  • Translation
  • Who are you thinking about?
  • Explanation
  • An wen - preposition with an interrogative pronoun
A question about the object (not about people) in which there is a preposition

At the beginning of the sentence, we put the prefix wo + the preposition, followed by the verb and the subject. If the preposition begins with a vowel, we add -r to the wo prefix.

  • Translation
  • How are you going home?
  • Explanation
  • Womit (prefix wo + preposition mit)
  • The verb fahren (to drive / to go [by car/train/ship etc.]) in the second and third person singular (du, er/sie/es) gets an umlaut, hence fährst (fahrst).
  • Translation
  • What are you focusing on?
  • Explanation
  • Worauf (prefix wo + -r + preposition auf)
Other types of questions using the interrogative pronoun

Interrogative pronoun takes the first position in the sentence, directly followed by the verb and the subject.

  • Translation
  • What did Erik tell you?
  • Explanation
  • Was - interrogative pronoun

You will find the list of interrogative pronouns in the chapter about the interrogative pronouns.