W-Fragen

“W-Fragen” stands for “W-questions” in German, and they are called this because most of the interrogative words in the German language start with the letter ‘W’. These questions are used to gather information, and they cannot be answered with just a simple “yes” or “no”. Instead, they require more detailed responses.

Here are some common W-Fragen words and their English equivalents:

• Wer? — Who?
• Was? — What?
• Wann? — When?
• Wo? — Where?
• Warum? — Why?
• Wie? — How?
• Wohin? — Where to?
• Woher? — Where from?

These W-Fragen words can be used to formulate questions in German, just like in English. For example:

• Wer ist das? (Who is that?)
• Was machst du? (What are you doing?)
• Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?)
• Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?)
• Warum bist du traurig? (Why are you sad?)
• Wie geht es dir? (How are you?)
• Wohin gehst du? (Where are you going?)
• Woher kommst du? (Where are you from?)

Remember that, in German, the verb usually comes right after the interrogative word, and the subject typically comes after the verb. As you continue to learn and practice, you’ll become more comfortable with forming and using W-Fragen in your German conversations. Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)

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Examples:

• Wem gehört dieses Buch? - (Explanation: The question asks for the owner of the book, which requires the word "whose" (Wem) in German. )
• Wen wirst du bei der Party kennenlernen? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the person you will meet at the party, which requires the word "whom" (Wen) in German. )
• Wo liegt das Rathaus in dieser Stadt? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the location of the city hall, which requires the word "where" (Wo) in German. )
• Wer hat dir dieses Geschenk gegeben? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the person who gave you the gift, which requires the word "who" (Wer) in German. )
• Wie geht es deiner Schwester heute? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the well-being of your sister, which requires the word "how" (Wie) in German. )
• Wann fährt der nächste Zug nach München? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the time of the next train to Munich, which requires the word "when" (Wann) in German. )
• Was ist dein Lieblingsfilm? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the person's favorite movie, which requires the word "what" (Was) in German. )
• Wer arbeitet in diesem Büro? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the person working in the office, which requires the word "who" (Wer) in German. )
• Warum soll ich dir bei dieser Aufgabe helfen? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the reason you should help with the task, which requires the word "why" (Warum) in German. )
• Wer hat den Kuchen gebacken? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the person who baked the cake, which requires the word "who" (Wer) in German. )
• Wo liegt der nächste Supermarkt? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the location of the nearest supermarket, which requires the word "where" (Wo) in German. )
• Was ist die Hauptstadt von Österreich? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the capital of Austria, which requires the word "what" (Was) in German. )
• Wohin soll ich diese Datei abspeichern? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the location where you should save the file, which requires the word "where to" (Wohin) in German. )
• Wie ist der beste Weg zum Flughafen? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the best way to the airport, which requires the word "what" (Was) in German. )
• Wer hat die schnellste Zeit beim Marathon erzielt? - ( Explanation: The question asks about the person who achieved the fastest time in the marathon, which requires the word "who" (Wer) in German. )
• Wo möchten Sie einen Kaffee trinken? - ( Explanation: The question asks for the location where the person wants to drink their coffee, which requires the word "where" (Wo) in German. )

More Examples