what is it?
German has two main question types. W-questions begin with a question word (wer, was, wo, wohin, woher, wann, wie, warum) and ask for specific information; the finite verb sits in second position, immediately after the question word. Yes/no questions ask whether something is true or not; the finite verb moves to first position and no question word is used. The particle doch is used to contradict a negative question or statement — where English uses «yes» even after a negative, German requires doch.
when to use it
W-question: use when you need a specific piece of information — a person, place, time, manner, or reason. Start with the appropriate W-word, then the verb, then the subject.
Yes/no question: use when the answer is expected to be ja or nein. Move the finite verb to the very front of the sentence.
doch: use instead of ja when you are contradicting a negative question or a negative assumption. If someone asks «Hast du keine Zeit?» and you do have time, the correct reply is «Doch», not «Ja».
formation
The table below shows the word-order pattern for each question type. Position 1 (P1) is the first slot, position 2 (P2) is always the finite verb in a W-question, and position 1 is the finite verb in a yes/no question.
| question type | P1 | finite verb | rest of sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-question | W-word (e.g. wo) | verb (e.g. wohnst) | subject + other elements |
| yes/no question | finite verb (e.g. wohnst) | — | subject + other elements |
| statement (for comparison) | subject (e.g. du) | verb (e.g. wohnst) | other elements |
Common W-words and their meanings:
| W-word | meaning |
|---|---|
| wer | who |
| was | what |
| wo | where (location) |
| wohin | where (direction to) |
| woher | where (direction from) |
| wann | when |
| wie | how |
| warum | why |
For doch: no special conjugation is needed. Place doch at the start of the reply, then continue with a normal positive statement.
German has no equivalent of the English auxiliary «do/does» in questions. Inversion alone signals a question — never add tun (to do) as a dummy auxiliary.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Verb not in second position in W-questions. Learners sometimes copy the word order of their native language and leave the verb at the end or push it to third position: *Wo du wohnst? is wrong. The verb must come directly after the W-word: Wo wohnst du?
Using ja instead of doch after a negative question. If the question contains kein or nicht, answering with ja is ambiguous or incorrect in German. Use doch to clearly contradict the negative: «Hast du keine Zeit? — Doch, ich habe Zeit.»
Calquing English do-support. English forms questions with «do/does», but German has no such construction. *Tust du heute kommen? is not German. Simply invert subject and verb: Kommst du heute?
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
„Hast du kein Geld dabei?" — „___, ich habe Geld dabei."
Fill in the blank with the correct one-word answer.