German makes questions in two tidy patterns. Once you see them, you can ask about almost anything.
1. Yes/no questions — verb first
Put the conjugated verb at the very front, then the subject. No extra word for “do” is needed.
Wohnst du in Berlin?
Do you live in Berlin?
Hat er ein Auto?
Does he have a car?
Kommen Sie mit?
Are you coming along?
2. W-questions — question word, then verb
Begin with a question word (most start with W), and the verb comes right after it in position two.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wer | who | Wer ist das? |
| was | what | Was machst du? |
| wo | where | Wo wohnst du? |
| wohin | where to | Wohin gehst du? |
| wann | when | Wann kommt der Bus? |
| warum | why | Warum lernst du Deutsch? |
| wie | how | Wie geht es dir? |
✗Du wohnst wo?
✓Wo wohnst du?
The question word goes first and the verb second.
✗Wo du wohnst?
✓Wo wohnst du?
After the W-word the verb must come before the subject.