Being able to form questions is an important part of learning a new language, and this is certainly true for German, too. This lesson will teach you how to form German questions, so that you’re good to go for your next trip to Germany.
Forming questions in German
To turn simple sentences into questions, all you need to do is change the word order by swapping the subject and the verb around:
Sentence 1: Du machst Hausaufgaben. – You are doing homework.
Question 1: Machst du Hausaufgaben? – Are you doing homework?
Sentence 2: Du isst gerne Eis. – You like eating ice-cream.
Question 2: Isst du gerne Eis? – Do you like eating ice-cream?
Yes, that’s how simple it is! Now, can you try to turn the following ten German sentences into questions? Remember, all you have to do is swap the subject and the verb around.
- Anton trinkt viel Bier.
- Ich gehe morgen laufen.
- Ihr ladet mich zum Essen ein.
- Wir müssen einkaufen!
- Marie mag dich sehr.
- Jeremy kommt aus Nigeria.
- Du hast heute ein Konzert.
- Wir gehen dich besuchen.
- Ich schlafe jetzt!
- Ihr seid gute Freunde.
After you have formed questions with those sentences, try to translate them. For that, you might need to know the following vocabulary:
- Verbs:
- trinken – to drink
- laufen gehen – to go running
- einladen – to invite
- müssen – to must
- einkaufen – to go shopping
- mögen – to like
- besuchen – to visit
- schlafen – to sleep
2. Nouns:
- das Bier – the beer
- das Essen – the food, the meal
- das Konzert – the concert
By the way, you can also learn more about asking German questions with question words, such as who, why, how, when and what.
Fragen über Fragen …
Read the following conversation between two friends, Marie and Anton, who bump into each other on the pavement:
Hi Marie! Wie geht’s dir?
Hallo Anton. Gut, und dir?
Nicht schlecht. Gehst du arbeiten?
Ja, genau. Und du? Gehst du mit deiner Tochter zum Spielplatz?
Nein, wir gehen zum Arzt. Hast du heute Abend Zeit? Wir können ein Bier trinken.
Sehr gern. Wann und wo wollen wir uns treffen?
Um 7 Uhr bei mir? Kannst du mich abholen?
Ja, klar. Bis dann! Ich freue mich.
Bis gleich. Ich mich auch.
And this is the conversation in English:
Hi Marie! How are you?
Hello Anton. Good, and you?
Not bad. Are you going to work?
Yes, exactly. And you? Are you going to the playground with your daughter?
No, we’re going to the doctor’s. Are you free this evening? We can drink a beer.
I’d like to. When and where should we meet each other?
At 7pm at mine? Can you pick me up?
Yes, of course. See you then! I’m looking forward-
See you later. Me too.
The German version of asking “And you?” is “Und dir?“. This simple phrase will keep you from having to repeat questions that your interlocutor just asked you.
Do Germans like being asked questions?
In some cultures it is seen as quite rude to ask too many questions, especially when they’re of a somewhat personal nature. But what about Germany? Do the people there mind being asked questions?
Actually, this varies from person to person – even many Germans are unsure about questions that are okay to ask their interlocutor. So don’t worry too much and just try to enjoy your time in Germany by making meaningful connections.
