“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!)
Visit our YouTube channel for more German learning tutorials!
Quiz:
For more examples, download our app on your or and enjoy a comprehensive learning experience!