rnrnAsking questions is the fastest way to turn passive learning into real conversations. At A1 level, the 7 W-words (plus wie and welcher) let you ask who, what, where, when, why, how, and which — everything you need to survive daily life in German. This pillar post gives you each word, pronunciation, word order, and ready-to-use examples so you can start asking today.
This is the pillar for our question section. It links to [The 7 Key W-Words in German] and [German Question Word Order]. Connects to [How to Ask Questions in German: Yes/No and W-Types] for full practice.
The 7 Core W-Question Words (W-Fragen)
| German | English | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wer? | Who? | vair | Wer bist du? (Who are you?) |
| Was? | What? | vahs | Was machst du? (What are you doing?) |
| Wo? | Where? | vo | Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) |
| Wann? | When? | vahn | Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?) |
| Warum? | Why? | vah-ROOM | Warum lernst du Deutsch? (Why are you learning German?) |
| Wie? | How? | vee | Wie geht’s? (How’s it going?) |
| Welcher/Welche/Welches? | Which? | VEL-kher | Welches Buch? (Which book?) |
Memory Trick:
All start with W → Wie Wer Wo Wann Warum
Word Order Rule: Verb SECOND (V2)
German questions always put the verb in 2nd position:
Question Word + Verb + Subject + Rest
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| Wo + wohnst + du? | Wo wohnst du? |
| Was + isst + er? | Was isst er? |
| Wann + fährt + der Zug? | Wann fährt der Zug? |
No do-support!
❌ Was du machst?
✅ Was machst du?
Real-Life Mini-Dialogues (Ready to Use)
1. Meeting Someone
— Hallo! Wer bist du?
— Ich bin Alex. Und du?
— Ich bin Maria. Woher kommst du?
— Aus Ägypten. Und du?
2. At a Café
— Guten Tag! Was möchten Sie?
— Einen Kaffee, bitte. Wann schließt das Café?
— Um acht Uhr.
3. Asking Directions
— Entschuldigung, wo ist die U-Bahn?
— Geradeaus, dann links. Wie lange brauchst du?
— Warum fragst du? 😊
“Welcher” – The Tricky One (Which?)
Changes with gender & case:
| Gender | Nominative |
|---|---|
| der (m) | welcher |
| die (f) | welche |
| das (n) | welches |
| die (pl) | welche |
Examples:
- Welcher Bus? (masc)
- Welche Straße? (fem)
- Welches Buch? (neut)
- Welche Leute? (pl)
Pronunciation Audio Guide [Listen Now]
| Word | Audio |
|---|---|
| Wer? | [🔊 wer.mp3] |
| Was? | [🔊 was.mp3] |
| Wo? | [🔊 wo.mp3] |
| Wann? | [🔊 wann.mp3] |
| Warum? | [🔊 warum.mp3] |
| Wie? | [🔊 wie.mp3] |
| Welcher? | [🔊 welcher.mp3] |
[Download Full Audio Pack]
Quick Practice Quiz
Q1: “Where do you live?”
→ Wo wohnst du?
Q2: “What is your name?”
→ Wie heißt du? (or Wer bist du?)
Q3: “Which train goes to Berlin?”
→ Welcher Zug fährt nach Berlin?
Q4: “Why are you late?”
→ Warum kommst du zu spät?
[Download Quiz + Answer Key]
Your 3-Step Daily Challenge
- Ask 3 questions to yourself in the mirror: → Wer bin ich? Wo wohne ich? Warum lerne ich Deutsch?
- Change 1 English question to German today: → “What time is it?” → Wie spät ist es?
- Use in real life: → Ask a tandem partner or in a language app: “Wann hast du Zeit?”
Cheat Sheet (Save This!)
| Word | Use |
|---|---|
| Wer? | People |
| Was? | Things/Actions |
| Wo? | Location |
| Wann? | Time |
| Warum? | Reason |
| Wie? | Manner/How |
| Welcher? | Choice (m/f/n/pl) |
Word Order: Q-word + Verb + Subject
Your Turn:
Write one question you’d ask a German friend in the comments!
Example: “Wo wohnst du in Deutschland?”
