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A2 → Grammar · Lesson 8 of 22

German Questions: Direct and Indirect Questions Explained

die Frage
Before this lesson: make sure you've covered Subordinate Clauses: weil, dass, wenn first.

You know direct questions from A1. At A2, you also learn indirect questions — a more polite way to ask, which, being a subordinate clause, sends the verb to the end, exactly like weil and dass sentences.

Types you should know

direkte Frage
direct question
indirekte Frage
indirect, polite question — verb at the end

See it in action

Direct questionIndirect (polite) question
Wo ist der Bahnhof?Können Sie mir sagen, wo der Bahnhof ist?
Wie viel kostet das?Wissen Sie, wie viel das kostet?
Kommst du heute?Ich weiß nicht, ob du heute kommst.
Memory trick: Indirect questions are subordinate clauses in disguise — verb to the end. Use "ob" (whether) when there's no question word.
⚠ Common mistake: Don't keep direct word order inside an indirect question — "...wo ist der Bahnhof?" is wrong; it must be "...wo der Bahnhof ist?"

🎯 Quick check

Which word introduces a polite indirect yes/no question?

Related topics

Subordinate Clauses: weil, dass, wennIndefinite Pronouns
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