CEFR A1 • Fragenwörter

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Wo(r) + Präposition

Q: Can I use womit or worauf to ask about people?

No. Wo(r) + Präposition forms like womit and worauf are only used to ask about things and concepts , never people. To ask about a person, you must use Präposition + wen/wem : Mit wem sprichst du? (Who are you talking with?) vs. Womit schreibst du? (What are you writing with?).

Q: Do Pronominaladverbien change depending on gender or case?

No. Pronominaladverbien like womit, wovon, worüber, woran are completely invariable . They do not change for gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), or case (nominative, accusative, dative). Once formed, the compound stays the same in every sentence.

At CEFR level A1, learning to form compound question words with wo(r) + Präposition allows you to ask about things and ideas linked to fixed-preposition verbs, an essential skill for natural German conversation.

Kernregel: Use wo(r) + Präposition to ask about things (Worauf wartest du?), but use Präposition + wen/wem to ask about people (Auf wen wartest du?).

Was ist das? – What Are Pronominaladverbien?

In German, many verbs and adjectives are permanently tied to a specific preposition — for example, warten auf (to wait for), sprechen über (to talk about), or denken an (to think about). When you want to ask a question about the thing or concept linked to that preposition, German fuses the question base wo and the preposition into a single compound word.

These compound question words are called Pronominaladverbien. They replace both the preposition and the object in one go, making your question short and precise. You will encounter them constantly in everyday German.

Merke: Pronominaladverbien such as wovon, womit, worüber and woran are completely invariable — they never take case endings or change their form. Once you have learned the compound, it works in every sentence without any further adjustment.

Sache oder Person? – Thing or Person? The Key Distinction

The most important question to ask yourself is: am I asking about a thing or idea, or about a person? The two cases require completely different structures.

Frage nach einer Sache

Use wo(r) + Präposition when the answer refers to a thing, an idea, or a concept — anything that is not a person.

Er freut sich auf das Wochenende.
Worauf freut er sich?

Wir reden über das Projekt.
Worüber redet ihr?

Sie denkt an ihre Prüfung.
Woran denkt sie?

Frage nach einer Person

Use Präposition + Fragepronomen (wer/wen/wem) when the answer refers to a person. The Fragepronomen must match the case required by the preposition.

Er freut sich auf seinen Bruder.
Auf wen freut er sich?

Wir reden über unsere Lehrerin.
Über wen redet ihr?

Sie denkt an ihre Mutter.
An wen denkt sie?

Die r-Regel – The r-Rule for Spelling

The only spelling decision you have to make is whether to write wo- or wor- before the preposition. The rule is consistent and applies without exception.

Präposition beginnt mit einem Konsonanten

When the preposition starts with a consonant (b, d, f, g, m, n, v, z…), attach wo directly. No r is added.

wo + mit → womit — with what
wo + von → wovon — of / about what
wo + für → wofür — for what
wo + nach → wonach — after / for what
wo + vor → wovor — in front of / afraid of what

Präposition beginnt mit einem Vokal

When the preposition starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, ä, ö, ü), insert an r between wo and the preposition to keep the word pronounceable.

wor + an → woran — on / about what
wor + auf → worauf — on / for what
wor + aus → woraus — out of / from what
wor + über → worüber — about / over what
wor + um → worum — about / around what

Häufige Formen im Überblick – Common Forms at a Glance

The table below lists the most common Pronominaladverbien you will encounter at A1–A2 level, together with a short example of each in use.

Präposition	Wo(r)-Form	Bedeutung (EN)	Beispiel
mit	womit	with what	Womit schreibst du?
von	wovon	of / about what	Wovon träumst du?
für	wofür	for what	Wofür interessierst du dich?
über	worüber	about / over what	Worüber sprecht ihr?
an	woran	on / about what	Woran arbeitest du?
auf	worauf	on / for what	Worauf wartest du?
aus	woraus	out of / from what	Woraus ist der Tisch?
nach	wonach	for / after what	Wonach suchst du?
vor	wovor	in front of / afraid of what	Wovor hast du Angst?

Eselsbrücke: To quickly remember the r-rule, think of it as avoiding a vowel collision. Saying woan or woauf is awkward; inserting the r — woran, worauf — makes the compound flow naturally when spoken aloud.

Pronominaladverbien in Aktion – Compound Question Words in Action

Each example below shows a statement followed by its matching Pronominaladverb question. Notice how the compound word absorbs the preposition entirely, leaving a clean, direct question.

Der Stuhl ist aus Holz.

Woraus ist der Stuhl?

Sache → woraus · aus begins with vowel → wor-

Ich warte auf den Zug.

Worauf wartest du?

Sache → worauf · auf begins with vowel → wor-

Wir ärgern uns über den Stau.

Worüber ärgert ihr euch?

Sache → worüber · über begins with vowel → wor-

Sie schreibt mit einem Füller.

Womit schreibt sie?

Sache → womit · mit begins with consonant → wo-

Er sucht nach seinem Schlüssel.

Wonach sucht er?

Sache → wonach · nach begins with consonant → wo-

Zusammenfassung – Quick Reference

Use wo(r) + Präposition to ask about things and concepts: womit, wovon, worüber, woran…
Use Präposition + Fragepronomen (wer / wen / wem) to ask about people: mit wem, von wem, über wen…
Add r when the preposition begins with a vowel: woran, worauf, woraus, worüber, worum.
No r when the preposition begins with a consonant: womit, wovon, wofür, wovor, wonach.
All Pronominaladverbien are invariable — they never change their form, regardless of gender, number, or case.

Verb-Tipp: Many German verbs are permanently paired with a fixed preposition — denken an, warten auf, sprechen über, träumen von, suchen nach. When you encounter such a verb, the matching Pronominaladverb simply borrows that same preposition: Woran denkst du? / Worauf wartest du? / Worüber sprichst du? / Wovon träumst du? / Wonach suchst du?

Häufig gestellte Fragen – FAQ

How do I know whether to use wo- or wor- before a preposition?

The rule is simple: look at the first letter of the preposition. If it begins with a consonant, attach wo directly — for example, wo + mit = womit, wo + von = wovon. If it begins with a vowel, insert r to avoid a vowel clash — for example, wor + auf = worauf, wor + über = worüber. This rule applies without exception.

Can I use womit or worauf to ask about people?

No. Wo(r) + Präposition forms like womit and worauf are only used to ask about things and concepts, never people. To ask about a person, you must use Präposition + wen/wem: Mit wem sprichst du? (Who are you talking with?) vs. Womit schreibst du? (What are you writing with?).

Do Pronominaladverbien change depending on gender or case?

No. Pronominaladverbien like womit, wovon, worüber, woran are completely invariable. They do not change for gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), or case (nominative, accusative, dative). Once formed, the compound stays the same in every sentence.