{"id":2583,"date":"2018-09-28T06:35:26","date_gmt":"2018-09-28T06:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=2583"},"modified":"2018-09-28T19:02:44","modified_gmt":"2018-09-28T19:02:44","slug":"german-question-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/german-question-words\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive Guide to German Question Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

If you have ever listened to the German opening of the famous TV series Sesame Street<\/em>, you might have stumbled upon the following line:<\/p>\n

\u201cWieso, weshalb, warum \u2014 wer nicht fragt bleibt dumm!<\/strong>\u201d
\n(\u201cHow come, for what reason, why \u2014 if you don\u2019t ask you\u2019ll stay stupid<\/em>.\u201d)<\/p>\n

As per usual for the German language, this is a true, but very matter-of-fact\u2014almost blunt\u2014statement. It\u2019s also the perfect introduction to today\u2019s topic: German question words<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Before I\u2019ll dive deeper into the specific uses for each question word, let\u2019s have a look at all of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Wie?<\/strong><\/td>\nHow?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Was?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhat?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wann?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhen?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wo?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhere?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Warum?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhy?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wohin?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhere to?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wer?<\/strong><\/td>\nWho?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seit wann?<\/strong><\/td>\nSince when?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wie lange?<\/strong><\/td>\nHow long?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wor\u00fcber?<\/strong><\/td>\nAbout which? (About what?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Woran?<\/strong><\/td>\nBy which? (By what?), what?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Welche?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhich?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wessen?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhose?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wie viel?<\/strong><\/td>\nHow much?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wie viele?<\/strong><\/td>\nHow many?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mit wem?<\/strong><\/td>\nWith whom?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Womit?<\/strong><\/td>\nBy what? (Through what?), how?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gibt es\u2026?<\/strong><\/td>\nIs there\u2026?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wodurch?<\/strong><\/td>\nWhereby? How? What? In what way? By what?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This is quite the extensive list, and probably the best way to memorize them all is to simply learn them by heart.<\/p>\n

The more of these German question words you know, the easier it will be for you to ask the right questions.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s now have a look at a couple examples, so that you will know when<\/strong> and how<\/strong> to use the German question words you\u2019ve just learned!<\/p>\n

Wie?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wie<\/strong> gehts es dir? \u2014 How are you<\/em>?
\n(A very common German phrase you are definitely going to encounter, if you haven’t already!)<\/p>\n

Wie<\/strong> kann ich dir helfen? \u2014 How can I help you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie<\/strong> hast du die Matheaufgabe gel\u00f6st? \u2014 How did you solve the math problem<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie<\/strong> kannst du nur? \u2014 How could you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Was?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Was<\/strong> hast du heute vor? \u2014 What have you got planned for today<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Was<\/strong> hat sie gesagt? \u2014 What did she say<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Was<\/strong> f\u00fcr eine Farbe hat euer Auto? \u2014 What color is you guys\u2019 car<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Was<\/strong> f\u00fcr eine seltsame Frage! \u2014 What a strange question!<\/em><\/p>\n

Wann? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wann<\/strong> hast du sie zuletzt gesehen? \u2014 When did you see them last<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wann<\/strong> geht er nach Berlin? \u2014 When is he going to Berlin<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wann<\/strong> f\u00e4ngt bei dir die Uni wieder an? \u2014 When will university start for you again<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wann<\/strong> sollen wir uns treffen? \u2014 When should we meet up<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wo?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Entschuldigung, wo<\/strong> ist der Bahnhof? \u2014 Excuse me, where is the train station<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wo<\/strong> treffen wir uns am Dienstag? \u2014 Where are we meeting up on Tuesday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wo<\/strong> in M\u00fcnchen wohnst du? \u2014 Where in Munich do you live<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wo<\/strong> habt ihr geplant, euren Urlaub zu verbringen? \u2014 Where did you guys plan to spend your vacation<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Warum?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Warum<\/strong> hat er sich nicht bei dir gemeldet? \u2014 Why didn\u2019t he contact you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Warum<\/strong> bist du nicht mit uns mitgekommen? \u2014 Why didn\u2019t you go with us<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Warum<\/strong> m\u00fcssen wir am Montag l\u00e4nger in der Schule bleiben? \u2014 Why do we have to stay in school longer on Monday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Du hast sie nicht gefragt, warum<\/strong> sie das getan hat? \u2014 You didn\u2019t ask her why she had done this<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wohin? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wohin<\/strong> gehst du? \u2014 Where (to) are you going<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wohin<\/strong> in Frankreich wollt ihr gehen? \u2014 Where to in France are you intending to travel<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Hat er dir erz\u00e4hlt, wohin<\/strong> er gefahren ist? \u2014 Did he tell you where (to) he was driving<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wohin<\/strong> sollen wir am Freitag gehen? \u2014 Where (to) should we go on Friday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wer<\/strong> hat meine Schl\u00fcssel geklaut? \u2014 Who stole my keys<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wer<\/strong> war gestern zuletzt im B\u00fcro? \u2014 Who was the last person at the office yesterday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Hast du gesehen, wer<\/strong> uns gestern besucht hat? \u2014 Did you see who visited us yesterday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wer<\/strong> hat mich gerade angerufen? Ich kenne die Nummer nicht. \u2014 Who did just call me? I don\u2019t recognize the number<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Seit wann? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Seit wann<\/strong> sind Nathan und Rachel zusammen? \u2014 How long have Nathan and Rachel been dating<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Seit wann<\/strong> magst du Erbsen? \u2014 Since when do you like peas<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Seit wann<\/strong> lebst du in Deutschland? \u2014 Since when have you been living in Germany<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Seit wann<\/strong> hat sie sich nicht mehr bei dir gemeldet? \u2014 Since when has she stopped being in contact with you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie lange? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wie lange<\/strong> lebst du schon in den USA? \u2014 How long have you been living in the US<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie lange<\/strong> muss der Kuchen im Ofen backen? \u2014 How long does the cake have to bake in the oven<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie lange<\/strong> hast du Zeit? \u2014 How much time do you have<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wie lange<\/strong> geht der Film (or: wie lange dauert der Film)? \u2014 How long is the movie<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong><\/span> A lot of times in German spoken language, the \u201ce\u201d in \u201clange\u201d is silent. Most of the time, people will opt for saying \u201cWie lang\u201d, although it\u2019s technically not one hundred percent correct.<\/p>\n

Wor\u00fcber?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wor\u00fcber <\/strong>habt ihr gesprochen? \u2014 <\/span>What did you guys talk about<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Wor\u00fcber<\/strong> lachst du? \u2014 What are you laughing at?<\/em><\/p>\n

Ist das etwas, wor\u00fcber<\/strong> ich mir Gedanken machen sollte? \u2014 Is this something I should worry about<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Wor\u00fcber <\/strong>denkst du nach? \u2014 What are you thinking about<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Woran?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Woran<\/strong> erkenne ich, ob das Fleisch noch gut ist? \u2014 How (by what) do I know if the meat is still good<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Woran<\/strong> sollte ich denken, bevor wir losfahren? \u2014 What should I think of before we leave<\/em>? (Meaning: what should I think of packing?)<\/p>\n

Woran<\/strong> hast du gesehen, dass etwas nicht stimmte? \u2014 How (by what)<\/em>\u00a0were you able to tell something wasn\u2019t right<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Woran<\/strong> hast du gedacht? \u2014 What were you thinking of<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong><\/span> As you might notice here, the translation for the word \u201cworan<\/strong>\u201d isn\u2019t always \u201cby what\u201d or \u201cthrough what\u201d, but sometimes also simply \u201cwhat\u201d or \u201chow\u201d. It\u2019s one of the German question words that seem to shift in meaning depending on how it is used.<\/p>\n

Welche? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Welche<\/strong> Fragen sind jetzt noch unbeantwortet? \u2014 Which questions haven\u2019t been answered yet<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Welches<\/strong> Kleid soll ich anziehen? \u2014 Which dress should I wear<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Welchen<\/strong> Film sollen wir uns anschauen? \u2014 Which movie should we watch<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Welche<\/strong> Ausfahrt m\u00fcssen wir nehmen? \u2014 Which exit do we have to take<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong><\/span> Depending on the gender of the noun following the word \u201cwelche<\/strong>\u201d as well as the case, the question word \u201cwelche<\/strong>\u201d changes its form, as you can see in the examples above.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • If the noun is neuter (like \u201cdas<\/em> Kleid<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe dress<\/em>\u201d), the word \u201cwelche<\/strong>\u201d remains in its regular form.<\/li>\n
  • If the noun is male (\u201cder<\/em><\/strong> Film<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe movie<\/em>\u201d) \u2014 and also due to the case, as the question word is in the accusative here \u2014 \u201cwelche<\/strong>\u201d becomes \u201cwelchen<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li>\n
  • If the noun is female, the word \u201cwelche<\/strong>\u201d does not change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This is an excellent opportunity to brush up on your knowledge on German cases, if you get the feeling that you\u2019re struggling with them a bit! (There\u2019s no shame in that \u2014 most Germans will find themselves struggling with them, because they are a mean bunch.)<\/p>\n

    Wessen? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Wessen<\/strong> Jacke habe ich gestern versehentlich mitgenommen? \u2014 Whose jacket did I accidentally take yesterday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wessen<\/strong> B\u00fccher liegen auf dem Tisch? \u2014 Whose books are on the table<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wessen<\/strong> Auto ist das? \u2014 Whose car is that<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wessen<\/strong> Idee war es, Kaugummi ins Schl\u00fcsselloch zu stecken? \u2014 Whose idea was it to stick chewing gum in the keyhole<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Note:<\/strong><\/span> \u201cWessen<\/strong>\u201d is not only a question word, but also indication for you that you are dealing with the genitive case. As I previously mentioned, the genitive is somewhat of a dying case, since a lot of people (even German native speakers!) do not know how to use the case properly.<\/p>\n

    Instead, a lot of people use \u201cwem sein<\/em>\u201d instead of \u201cwessen<\/strong>\u201d, and essentially wrongly replace the genitive with a dative case.<\/p>\n

    (Every time someone does this, somewhere on this planet a kitten dies.)<\/p>\n

    So just know that whenever someone yells \u201cWem seine Jacke ist das?<\/em>\u201d, the correct form is \u201cWessen Jacke ist das?\u201d<\/p>\n

    Wie viel? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Wie viel<\/strong> kostet diese Vase? \u2014 How much is this vase<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viel<\/strong> Brot habt ihr eingekauft? \u2014 How much bread did you guys buy<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viel<\/strong> Trinkgeld soll ich der Bedienung geben? \u2014 How much should I tip the waiter<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viel<\/strong> Gehalt verdienst du in deiner Position? \u2014 How much does your position pay<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viele? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Wie viele<\/strong> Leute waren bei der Amtseinf\u00fchrung? \u2014 How many people were at the inauguration<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viele<\/strong> Male soll ich mich denn noch wiederholen? \u2014 How many more times do I have to repeat myself<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viele<\/strong> Paar Schuhe hast du? \u2014 How many pairs of shoes do you own<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wie viele<\/strong> G\u00e4ste sind zu deiner Party eingeladen? \u2014 How many guests are invited to your party<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Mit wem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Mit wem<\/strong> hast du dich gestern getroffen? \u2014 With whom did you meet up yesterday<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Mit wem<\/strong> f\u00e4hrst du dieses Jahr in den Urlaub? \u2014 With whom are you going on vacation this year<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Mit wem<\/strong> hat er gestern gesprochen? \u2014 Who did he talk to yesterday<\/em>? (With whom did he talk yesterday<\/em>?)<\/p>\n

    Mit wem<\/strong> arbeitest du an dem Projekt? \u2014 Who are you working on the project with<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Womit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Womit<\/strong> hat er die Flasche ge\u00f6ffnet? \u2014 How did he open the bottle<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Womit<\/strong> kann ich dir helfen? \u2014 How can I help you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Womit<\/strong> hat er das Auto bezahlen k\u00f6nnen? \u2014 By what means was he able to pay for the car<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Womit<\/strong> hast du dich besch\u00e4ftigt? \u2014 By what means did you keep yourself occupied<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Gibt es\u2026? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Entschuldigung, gibt es<\/strong> in diesem Geb\u00e4ude eine Toilette? \u2014 Excuse me, is there a restroom in this building<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Gibt es<\/strong> denn nichts anderes, was dir einf\u00e4llt? \u2014 Isn\u2019t there anything else you could think of<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Gibt es<\/strong> auf der Feier etwas zu essen? \u2014 Will there be food at the party<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Gibt es<\/strong> keine andere M\u00f6glichkeit? \u2014 Isn\u2019t there another option<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wodurch? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Wodurch<\/strong> wurde er ber\u00fchmt? \u2014 How did he become famous<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wodurch<\/strong> unterscheidet sich dieses Sofa von den anderen? \u2014 In what way is this sofa different from the other ones<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wodurch<\/strong> h\u00e4tte ich das wissen sollen? \u2014 By what means could I have known that<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    Wodurch<\/strong> werden Ressourcen verschwendet? \u2014 How are resources being wasted<\/em>?<\/p>\n

    \n

    So, there they are! The most important question words in the German language!<\/p>\n

    There are quite a few of them, but the good news is that they\u2019re pretty easy to keep in mind.<\/p>\n

    In case you are curious about testing your knowledge on German question words so far, you can head over to our quiz section \u2014 Clozemaster will help you learn all the important verbs and grammar in no time!<\/p>\n

    Until next time, have fun and viel Erfolg<\/em>!<\/p>\n

    Challenge yourself with Clozemaster<\/h2>\n

    Test your skills and see what you\u2019ve learned from this article by playing a selection of sentences with German question words.<\/strong><\/p>\n