CEFR A1 • Fragewörter

← Grammar index Go to Exercises

Fragewörter: Wann, warum, wie und wo?

Q: What is the correct word order when using a Fragewort in German?

In a German W-question, the Fragewort always comes first , immediately followed by the conjugated verb , then the subject and the rest of the sentence. For example: Wann beginnt der Kurs? (When does the course start?). This is different from a yes/no question, where the verb alone comes first.

Q: Do German Fragewörter ever change their form?

No. All nine A1-level Fragewörter — wann, warum, wie, wie lange, wie oft, wie viel, wo, woher and wohin — are completely invariable . They never take case endings, plural forms, or any other inflection. Once you learn the form, it stays the same in every sentence.

Q: When do I use wie viel vs. wie viele in German?

Use wie viel (without an -e ) before uncountable nouns or when asking about price and quantity in general: Wie viel kostet das? (How much does it cost?). Use wie viele before countable plural nouns: Wie viele Personen seid ihr? (How many people are you?). At A1 level, wie viel covers most situations.

At CEFR level A1, mastering German question words (Fragewörter) allows you to ask for essential information — time, place, reason, and manner — which is the foundation of everyday German conversation.

Kernregel: The Fragewort always comes first in a German W-question, immediately followed by the conjugated verb — for example, Wann beginnt der Kurs?

Was sind Fragewörter? – What Are Question Words?

Fragewörter (question words) open a W-question — a question that asks for specific information rather than a simple yes or no. Just as English has when, why, how and where, German has a corresponding set of question words, each targeting a different type of information.

In a W-question, the Fragewort always comes first and is immediately followed by the verb, then the subject. This is the standard question word order in German.

Merke: Fragewörter are completely invariable — they never change their form. The words wann, warum, wie, wie lange, wie oft, wie viel, wo, woher and wohin always look exactly the same, regardless of the noun or verb that follows.

Die Fragewörter im Überblick – The Nine Core Question Words

German has nine core question words at the A1 level. Learning them as a group is the most effective approach:

wann warum wie wie lange wie oft wie viel wo woher wohin

Fragewort	Bedeutung (EN)	Fragt nach
wann	when	Zeitpunkt — a point in time
warum	why	Grund — a reason or cause
wie	how	Art und Weise — the manner or way something happens
wie lange	how long	Dauer — the duration of something
wie oft	how often	Häufigkeit — the frequency of something
wie viel	how much / how many	Menge oder Anzahl — a quantity or number
wo	where	Ort — a static location or place
woher	where from	Richtung (Herkunft) — the origin or point of departure
wohin	where to	Richtung (Ziel) — the destination or direction of movement

Fragewörter in der Praxis – Question Words in Practice

Each question word targets a particular category of information. The answer always matches that category. Read each example below and notice how the question word shapes exactly what the answer must address.

wann

Wann öffnet das Museum?

Das Museum öffnet um neun Uhr.

Frage nach dem Zeitpunkt — Asking about time

warum

Warum lernst du Deutsch?

Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Berlin arbeiten möchte.

Frage nach dem Grund — Asking about reason

wie

Wie fährt Nina zur Arbeit?

Nina fährt mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.

Frage nach der Art und Weise — Asking about manner

wie lange

Wie lange dauert das Konzert?

Das Konzert dauert zwei Stunden.

Frage nach der Dauer — Asking about duration

wie oft

Wie oft kochst du zu Hause?

Ich koche viermal pro Woche zu Hause.

Frage nach der Häufigkeit — Asking about frequency

wie viel

Wie viel kostet das Buch?

Das Buch kostet acht Euro.

Frage nach der Menge / Anzahl — Asking about quantity

Wo wohnt dein Bruder?

Mein Bruder wohnt in München.

Frage nach dem Ort — Asking about location

woher

Woher kommt die neue Studentin?

Die neue Studentin kommt aus Brasilien.

Frage nach der Richtung (Herkunft) — Asking about origin

wohin

Wohin fährt der Bus?

Der Bus fährt zum Hauptbahnhof.

Frage nach der Richtung (Ziel) — Asking about destination

Wo, woher und wohin – Location vs. Origin vs. Destination

These three question words are easy to confuse because they all relate to place. The key distinction is movement: wo asks about a static position, while woher and wohin both involve movement — one asking where from, the other asking where to.

wo — asks where something is. No movement, just position.
woher — asks where someone or something comes from. It points backwards to the origin.
wohin — asks where someone or something is going. It points forward to the destination.

Beispiele im Vergleich:

Wo wohnst du? – Ich wohne in Köln. (static location — no movement)
Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus Polen. (origin — where you started)
Wohin gehst du? – Ich gehe in die Bibliothek. (destination — where you are headed)

Zusammenfassung – Quick Reference

Fragewörter introduce W-questions and ask for specific information, never just yes or no.
All nine Fragewörter are invariable — wann, warum, wie, wie lange, wie oft, wie viel, wo, woher and wohin never change their form.
Each question word targets one category of information: time, reason, manner, duration, frequency, quantity, location, origin, or destination.
Use wo for a static location (no movement), woher for the point of origin, and wohin for the destination of movement.
The compound question words wie lange, wie oft and wie viel are always written as two separate words.

Häufig gestellte Fragen – FAQ

What is the correct word order when using a Fragewort in German?

In a German W-question, the Fragewort always comes first, immediately followed by the conjugated verb, then the subject and the rest of the sentence. For example: Wann beginnt der Kurs? (When does the course start?). This is different from a yes/no question, where the verb alone comes first.

Do German Fragewörter ever change their form?

No. All nine A1-level Fragewörter — wann, warum, wie, wie lange, wie oft, wie viel, wo, woher and wohin — are completely invariable. They never take case endings, plural forms, or any other inflection. Once you learn the form, it stays the same in every sentence.

When do I use wie viel vs. wie viele in German?

Use wie viel (without an -e) before uncountable nouns or when asking about price and quantity in general: Wie viel kostet das? (How much does it cost?). Use wie viele before countable plural nouns: Wie viele Personen seid ihr? (How many people are you?). At A1 level, wie viel covers most situations.

Fragewörter: Wann, warum, wie und wo?

Was sind Fragewörter? – What Are Question Words?

Die Fragewörter im Überblick – The Nine Core Question Words

Fragewörter in der Praxis – Question Words in Practice

Wo, woher und wohin – Location vs. Origin vs. Destination

Zusammenfassung – Quick Reference

Häufig gestellte Fragen – FAQ

Übungen