Questions are the engine of real conversation-and in German, a handful of small words do most of the heavy lifting. This list hands you around 35 essential question words and phrases so you can stop fumbling and start connecting.
You’ll meet the everyday question starters like wer (who), was (what), wo (where), and warum (why), plus ready-to-use phrases such as Wie geht’s? and Was ist das?. Each entry comes with a clear meaning and a natural example sentence so you see exactly how it works in the wild.
We’ve also included audio for every entry-because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes. Use the play button right in the table to hear the correct pronunciation, then repeat it yourself until it feels easy.
Ready to sound a little less like a deer in headlights and a little more like a German speaker? SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM for the free printable Basic Questions in German vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Basic Questions in German flashcards.
If this topic helped, explore more in our German learning section. it’s the easiest way to keep building related vocabulary without jumping around the web.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve got these question words locked in? Give the quick quiz a spin-it’s a low‑pressure way to see what stuck and what could use another look.
Keep building your German
Choose a practical next step when you are ready.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Meaning | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wie spät ist es? | vee shpayt ist ess | Wie spät ist es? | |
| Wie viel kostet das? | vee feel KOS-tet dahs | Wie viel kostet das Brot? | |
| wo | voh | Wo ist der Bahnhof? | |
| Wo ist …? | voh ist | Wo ist der Eingang? | |
| Wo wohnst du? | voh vohnst doo | Wo wohnst du? | |
| Woher kommst du? | voh-hair koomst doo | Woher kommst du? | |
| Womit fährst du? | voh-MIT fairst doo | Womit fährst du zur Arbeit? | |
| Woran denkst du? | voh-RAHN denkst doo | Woran denkst du gerade? | |
| Worauf wartest du? | voh-ROWF VAR-test doo | Worauf wartest du? | |
| Worüber sprichst du? | voh-RUE-ber shprikhst doo | Worüber sprecht ihr? |
Free Basic Questions in German PDF and Flashcard Downloads
You can download the Basic Questions in German vocabulary list for free using the purple vocab-list button. The teal flashcards button gives you the Basic Questions in German flashcards, and both downloads are 100% free with no signup.
