Lesson 21: Yes/No Questions
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask simple yes/no questions in German. These are questions you can answer with yes or no.
What you’ll learn
- what a yes/no question is
- how yes/no questions are formed in German
- how to answer with ja and nein
- a few useful everyday yes/no questions
What is a yes/no question?
A yes/no question is a question that can be answered with:
- ja = yes
- nein = no
For example:
- Wohnst du in Berlin? – Do you live in Berlin?
- Ja, ich wohne in Berlin. – Yes, I live in Berlin.
You can also give a negative answer:
- Nein, ich wohne nicht in Berlin. – No, I do not live in Berlin.
In German, yes/no questions are sometimes called Ja-/Nein-Fragen or Entscheidungsfragen.
Yes/no questions in German
To form a German yes/no question, put the conjugated verb first. The subject comes directly after it.
The basic structure is:
Conjugated verb + subject + other information + ?
Look at the difference between a statement and a question:
Statement:
Du wohnst in Deutschland.
You live in Germany.
Yes/no question:
Wohnst du in Deutschland?
Do you live in Germany?
The conjugated verb wohnst moves from the second position to the first position.
Here are a few more examples:
| Statement | Yes/No Question |
|---|---|
| Du lernst Deutsch. | Lernst du Deutsch? |
| Maria arbeitet heute. | Arbeitet Maria heute? |
| Ihr spielt Fußball. | Spielt ihr Fußball? |
| Er trinkt Kaffee. | Trinkt er Kaffee? |
| Sie kommen aus Spanien. | Kommen Sie aus Spanien? |
That is the main rule: The conjugated verb comes first.
A simple comparison
Here are some examples:
Du bist müde. = You are tired.
Bist du müde? = Are you tired?
Du hast Zeit. = You have time.
Hast du Zeit? = Do you have time?
Du lernst Deutsch. = You learn German.
Lernst du Deutsch? = Do you learn German?
This is the main idea of the lesson:
for a yes/no question, move the verb to the front.
Questions with Regular and Irregular Verbs
The same word-order rule works with both regular and irregular verbs.
Regular verbs
Du arbeitest morgen.
Arbeitest du morgen?
Are you working tomorrow?
Anna kauft Brot.
Kauft Anna Brot?
Is Anna buying bread?
Irregular verbs
Some German verbs change their vowel when they are conjugated. You must still use the correct conjugated form in the question.
Du sprichst Deutsch.
Sprichst du Deutsch?
Do you speak German?
Er fährt mit dem Bus.
Fährt er mit dem Bus?
Is he going by bus?
Lena liest ein Buch.
Liest Lena ein Buch?
Is Lena reading a book?
Do not forget to conjugate the verb for the subject. For example, use sprichst with du, but spricht with er, sie, or es.
- Sprichst du Deutsch?
- Spricht er Deutsch?
Questions with sein
The verb sein, meaning “to be,” is extremely useful. Put the correct form of sein at the beginning of the question.
| Statement | Question |
| Du bist müde. | Bist du müde? |
| Er ist zu Hause. | Ist er zu Hause? |
| Ihr seid bereit. | Seid ihr bereit? |
| Das ist dein Buch. | Ist das dein Buch? |
| Sie sind aus Österreich. | Sind sie aus Österreich? |
More examples:
- Bist du hungrig? – Are you hungry?
- Ist das teuer? – Is that expensive?
- Sind Sie Frau Wagner? – Are you Ms. Wagner?
- Seid ihr fertig? – Are you all finished?
Questions with haben
Use the same structure with haben, meaning “to have.”
- Hast du Zeit? – Do you have time?
- Hat er ein Auto? – Does he have a car?
- Habt ihr Hunger? – Are you all hungry?
- Haben Sie eine Frage? – Do you have a question?
Notice that German does not add a separate word for the English verbs do or does.
English:
Do you have time?
German:
Hast du Zeit?
Questions with Modal Verbs
Modal verbs include verbs such as:
- können – can or to be able to
- müssen – must or to have to
- wollen – to want to
- dürfen – may or to be allowed to
- sollen – should or to be supposed to
- möchten – would like
When a sentence contains a modal verb, put the conjugated modal verb first. The other verb remains in the infinitive form at the end.
The structure is:
Modal verb + subject + other information + infinitive + ?
For example:
Du kannst Deutsch sprechen.
Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?
Can you speak German?
More examples:
- Musst du heute arbeiten? – Do you have to work today?
- Willst du einen Film sehen? – Do you want to watch a movie?
- Dürfen wir hier parken? – May we park here?
- Soll ich dir helfen? – Should I help you?
- Möchtet ihr Pizza bestellen? – Would you all like to order pizza?
- Möchten Sie einen Kaffee trinken? – Would you like to drink a coffee?
Only the conjugated modal verb moves to the beginning. The infinitive stays at the end.
Questions with Separable Verbs
Separable verbs have a prefix that separates from the main verb in a sentence. Common examples include:
- aufstehen – to get up
- einkaufen – to shop
- anrufen – to call
- mitkommen – to come along
- fernsehen – to watch television
In a yes/no question, put the conjugated part of the verb first. The separated prefix stays at the end.
Du stehst früh auf.
Stehst du früh auf?
Do you get up early?
More examples:
- Kaufst du heute ein? – Are you shopping today?
- Rufst du deine Mutter an? – Are you calling your mother?
- Kommt Anna mit? – Is Anna coming along?
- Seht ihr heute Abend fern? – Are you watching television this evening?
Useful everyday yes/no questions
Here are some beginner questions you can use right away:
Sprichst du Englisch? = Do you speak English?
Lernst du Deutsch? = Do you learn German?
Hast du Zeit? = Do you have time?
Bist du müde? = Are you tired?
Magst du Kaffee? = Do you like coffee?
These are short, useful, and easy to practice.
