In questions (depending on the question type), the conjugated verb moves to a different position than in statements.
Yes/No Questions
The conjugated verb moves to position 1.
Formation Pattern: Verb + Subject + Other Elements
Statement → Question
- Du sprichst Deutsch → Sprichst du Deutsch?
- Er hat Zeit → Hat er Zeit?
No "Do/Does" Needed: Unlike English, German does not use auxiliary verbs like "do" or "does" to form questions. Simply move the main verb to the front!
When a sentence contains multiple verbs (modal verbs, perfect tense, future tense), the conjugated verb moves to position 1, while other verb forms stay at the end.
Tense/Type | German Question | English |
Modal Verb | Kannst du schwimmen? | Can you swim? |
Perfect Tense | Hast du das Buch gelesen? | Have you read the book? |
Future Tense | Wirst du morgen kommen? | Will you come tomorrow? |
Separable Verb | Rufst du mich an? | Are you calling me? |
W-Questions
W-Questions are open-ended questions that begin with a question word.
The question word takes position 1, and the conjugated verb follows in position 2.
Formation Pattern: Question Word + Verb + Subject + Other Elements
German | English | Example |
wer | who | Wer ist das? |
was | what | Was machst du? |
wo | where | Wo wohnst du? |
wohin | where to | Wohin gehst du? |
woher | where from | Woher kommst du? |
wann | when | Wann fängt der Film an? |
warum | why | Warum lernst du Deutsch? |
wie | how | Wie heißt du? |
wie viel | how much | Wie viel kostet das? |
wie viele | how many | Wie viele Kinder hast du? |
welch- | which | Welches Buch liest du? |
Just like with Yes/No questions, the conjugated verb stays in position 2 while other verbs go to the end:
- Was hast du gestern gemacht?
- Wohin willst du fahren?
Special Case: Wer and Cases
The question word wer (who) changes form depending on the grammatical case.
Case | Form | Example | English |
Nominative | wer | Wer kommt zur Party? | Who is coming to the party? |
Accusative | wen | Wen siehst du? | Who(m) do you see? |
Dative | wem | Wem gibst du das Buch? | To whom are you giving the book? |
Genitive | wessen | Wessen Auto ist das? | Whose car is that? |