German for Beginners: Asking Who, What, and Where Questions
Learn to form German information questions with wer, was, and wo, and see how they differ from yes/no questions.
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German information questions begin with a question word, often called a W-word because most start with w: wer (who), was (what), wo (where). The question word comes first, then the verb, then the rest of the sentence. This is different from a yes/no question, where the verb comes first: Wohnst du in Berlin? (Do you live in Berlin?) becomes Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?). In this lesson you will learn the three most useful W-words and practice them with simple verbs in the present tense.
By the end, you can…
- ask who, what, and where questions in German.
- tell the difference between a W-question and a yes/no question.
- use simple present-tense verbs in information questions.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Wer ist das?
Who is that?
vair ist das
Use wer for people. The verb ist comes right after wer.
Was machst du?
What are you doing?
vas makhst doo
Use was for things, actions, or general information. The verb machst follows was.
Wo wohnst du?
Where do you live?
voh vohnst doo
Use wo for a location. The verb wohnst comes second.
Woher kommst du?
Where do you come from?
voh-hair kohmst doo
Woher asks about origin or direction from. Do not confuse it with wo, which asks about a current location.
Wohin gehst du?
Where are you going (to)?
voh-hin gayst doo
Wohin asks about direction toward a place. Use it with verbs of movement such as gehen or fahren.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A German W-question follows a stable pattern: W-word + verb + subject + other information. Examples: Wer ist das? Was trinkst du? Wo arbeitet sie? The verb is always in second position in a simple statement-like question. This is the same position the verb takes in a normal German statement, so once you know the verb form, you only need to put the W-word in front. Compare the statement Du wohnst in Berlin with the question Wo wohnst du? The verb wohnst stays in second position.
When to use it
Use wer when you ask about a person or people: Wer kommt heute? (Who is coming today?). Use was when you ask about a thing, an action, or a situation: Was ist das? (What is that?) or Was machst du? (What are you doing?). Use wo for a current location: Wo ist der Bahnhof? (Where is the train station?). For origin use woher, and for direction toward a place use wohin. In everyday conversation, wo is sometimes used instead of wohin in informal speech, but in a beginner course it is clearer to keep wo, woher, and wohin separate.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Hallo! Wer ist das?
Hello! Who is that?hah-loh vair ist dasDas ist Anna. Sie wohnt in Hamburg.
That is Anna. She lives in Hamburg.das ist an-na zee vohnt in ham-boorkUnd was machst du hier?
And what are you doing here?unt vas makhst doo heerIch lerne Deutsch. Wo wohnst du?
I am learning German. Where do you live?ikh lair-nuh doych voh vohnst dooA little context goes a long way
German has regional differences in everyday speech. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, people often greet each other with Grüß Gott or Grüezi, while Hallo works almost everywhere. In formal situations, use Sie instead of du: Wo wohnen Sie? This is standard in shops, offices, and with strangers. Among friends, students, and family, du is normal.
One thing to watch for
Putting the verb first in a W-question, as in Wohnst du wo?
Try this instead: In a German W-question, the W-word comes first and the verb comes second: Wo wohnst du? The order Wohnst du wo? sounds like a yes/no question with an extra wo at the end and is not standard German.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Turn the yes/no question Trinkst du Kaffee? into a W-question asking what you drink.
Show a sample answer
Was trinkst du?
Was replaces the unknown thing, and the verb trinkst stays in second position. Was trinkst du? is the standard neutral question.
2Which W-word fits: ___ kommst du? (asking about origin)
Show a sample answer
Woher
Woher asks about origin or where someone comes from. Wo would ask about a current location, and wohin would ask about direction toward a place.
3Make a W-question from the statement Sie wohnt in Berlin.
Show a sample answer
Wo wohnt sie?
Put the W-word wo first, keep the verb wohnt in second position, and place the subject sie after the verb. Wo wohnt sie? is correct.
German W-questions put the question word first and the verb second: Wer ist das? Was machst du? Wo wohnst du? Remember wo for location, woher for origin, and wohin for direction.
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