German question words — known as W-Fragen — are the foundation of almost every information question. If you can use these seven words well, you can handle real conversations at the A1 level. This guide explains what each W-word means, when to use it, and how to build simple, correct questions.
What are the main W-words in German?
The seven essential German question words are:
-
Wer – who
-
Was – what
-
Wo – where (static location)
-
Wann – when
-
Wie – how / in what way
-
Warum – why
-
Welcher / Welche / Welches – which
All German W-questions follow the same word order pattern:
W-word → verb → subject → rest of sentence
Example:
Was machst du heute? (What are you doing today?)
What does “Wer” mean and how do you use it?
Wer asks about a person. It can be the subject or the object of the sentence.
Examples:
-
Wer ist das? – Who is that?
-
Wen suchst du? – Who are you looking for?
Use wer when the person is doing the action. Use wen when the person is receiving the action.
What does “Was” mean and when is it used?
Was means what, and you use it to ask about objects, ideas, actions, or unknown things.
Examples:
-
Was ist das? – What is that?
-
Was machst du? – What are you doing?
It’s one of the most frequent question words in everyday German.
What does “Wo” mean and how do you ask about places?
Wo asks where, but only for static locations — places where someone or something is staying, not moving.
Examples:
-
Wo bist du? – Where are you?
-
Wo wohnt er? – Where does he live?
There are two useful related forms:
-
Wohin? – where to (movement)
-
Woher? – where from (origin)
What does “Wann” mean and how do you talk about time?
Wann means when and is used for any question about time: hours, days, dates, and events.
Examples:
-
Wann beginnt der Film? – When does the movie start?
-
Wann kommst du? – When are you coming?
What does “Wie” mean and what kinds of information can it ask for?
Wie means how, but depending on the context, it can ask for a method, a condition, a description, or a quantity.
Common patterns include:
-
Wie geht’s? – How are you?
-
Wie heißt du? – What is your name?
-
Wie viel kostet das? – How much does that cost?
-
Wie alt bist du? – How old are you?
“Wie” is one of the most flexible and useful W-words for beginners.
What does “Warum” mean and how do you ask for a reason?
Warum means why and is used to ask for a reason or explanation.
Examples:
-
Warum lernst du Deutsch? – Why are you learning German?
-
Warum bist du müde? – Why are you tired?
You may also hear similar words like wieso, weshalb, and weswegen. All mean “why.”
What does “Welcher” mean and how do you choose between options?
Welcher / Welche / Welches means which, and you use it when choosing from known options.
It changes form depending on gender and number.
-
Welcher – masculine
-
Welche – feminine or plural
-
Welches – neuter
Examples:
-
Welcher Tag passt dir? – Which day works for you?
-
Welche Farbe magst du? – Which color do you like?
-
Welches Buch ist neu? – Which book is new?
How do you build correct questions with W-words?
German W-questions use verb-second (V2) word order:
W-word → conjugated verb → subject → rest
Examples:
-
Wo wohnst du? – Where do you live?
-
Warum arbeitest du spät? – Why are you working late?
-
Wie viele Geschwister hast du? – How many siblings do you have?
This structure never changes, even with long questions.
What mistakes should beginners avoid?
Here are the most common errors:
-
Using wo when asking about movement
- Correct: Wohin gehst du?
-
Forgetting that the verb comes directly after the W-word
- Correct: Was machst du?
-
Confusing wer and wen
- “Wer” = who (subject), “wen” = whom (object)
Which simple examples use all 7 W-words?
A quick review:
-
Wer ist das? – Who is that?
-
Was möchtest du essen? – What do you want to eat?
-
Wo wohnst du? – Where do you live?
-
Wann beginnt die Schule? – When does school start?
-
Wie heißt du? – What is your name?
-
Warum lernst du Deutsch? – Why are you learning German?
-
Welche Sprache sprichst du? – Which language do you speak?
FAQ
Is “wie” always translated as “how”?
No — it can also ask for age, price, or someone’s name.
Is “welcher” the same as “welche”?
They are forms of the same word but change based on gender and number.
Can “wo” ask about direction?
Not by itself. For direction, you use wohin. For origin, you use woher.
