# German/Lesson 12

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# Fragewörter

Fragewörter meaning Questions or Question words, are the ways to determine certain outcomes, which can be as simple as Wie ist dein Name bitte? (What is your name please?), to some complex ones like Kaufte die Frau einen Koffer? (Did the lady buy any suitcase?)
    This lesson deals with letting you know of the Question words, which are in use for daily use and common phrases for the same.

## Questions Words

There are in total 15 major types of Question Words, or Fragewörter, which are used. These are as follows:

## Rules

In Q.W. (Question Word) the first rule is that:
* The Q.W. takes the first position. Like → (1) Fragewörter → (2) Verb → (3) Subjekt → (4) Alles andere (Everything else) → (5) ? (Fragezeichen)
       So, The basic word order in a German sentence is the same as in English: subject — verb — object(s).
* The second most important rule is that, all objects (objekts) take Akkusative and all subjects (subjekts), take Nominativ artikle.
   * Few Examples:
* Der Junge spielt Fußball. (Subjekt: der Junge, Verb: spielt, Objekt: Fußball.)
    The boy plays football. (Subject: the boy, verb: plays, object: football.)
To change the English sentence The boy plays football. into a question, we insert the auxiliary verb does before boy, change plays to the infinitive form play and place a question mark at the end: Does the boy play football?
The process is very similar in German. However, we don't need an auxiliary verb in German; thus, we just switch the whole verb with the subject, ending up with:
* Spielt der Junge Fußball?
    Does the boy play football?
In German, there are two basic ways of forming a question. The first is the method described above. In addition to this, you can use a question word (an interrogative adverb); for example, how — wie as in How are you? — Wie geht's?
Other question words are summarized in the following table.
Vocabulary: Questions — Fragen :
| English | German |
| who? | wer? |
| what? | was? |
| where? | wo? |
| when? | wann? |
| why? | warum? |
| how? | wie? |
* In order to understand better, we will list all of the Question Words that are in language German.
The question Wie heißt ...? literally translates to How is ... called? meaning What is ... called?. This is why the German question does not contain what — was.
A question word comes first in a sentence; thus, the word order is: question word — verb — subject — object(s). For example:
* Warum spielt der Junge Fußball?
    Why does the boy play football?
Note that in German, the verb almost always comes second in the sentence, except in the case of a question as described above. The subject is almost always next to the verb, if not in front of it then following it. For example:
* Der Junge spielt nicht Fußball.
    The boy is not playing football.
* Heute spielt der Junge Fußball.
    Today, the boy plays football.

## Questions

We will go backwards, so as to understand the Questions, and their implication properly.
* Answer 01. Maria ist Lehrerin. (Maria is a female teacher.)
    Rule: When the subject person (is underlined), the Q.W. will be wer meaning who.
* Answer 02. Die Kreide ist weiß. (The chalk is white.)
    Rule: When the subject is non-person (is underlined), Q.W. will be was meaning what.
* Answer 03. Peter is Arzt (Pronounced "Art'z'st"). (Peter is Doctor.)
    Rule: When the profession / occupation (is underlined), the Q.W. will be was meaning what.
* Answer 04. Boris Becker spielt Tennis. (Boris Becker plays Tennis.)
    Rule: When the entire predicate is underlined, Q.W. will be was followed by the correct conjunction of the word machen (to do / make).
* Answer 05. Das Buch ist interessant. (The book is interesting.)
    Rule: When an adjective (adjektive) is underlined, the Q.W. will be wie, meaning how.
* Answer 06. Das Haus hat sechs (6) Fenster. (The house has six (6) windows.)
    Rule: When number (nummer) is underlined, Q.W. will be wie viele, meaning how many.
* Answer 07. Der Stuhl kostet 120 Rupien. (The stool / chair costs Rupees 120.)
    Rule: When amount (unit of monetizing) is underlined, Q.W. will be wie viel, meaning how much.
* Answer 08. Der Unterricht dauert neunzig Minuten. (The class continues for 90 (ninety) minutes.)
    Rule: When duration is underlined, Q.W. will be wie lange, meaning how long.
* Answer 09. Die Katze ist 2 (zwei) Monate alt. (The cat is 2 months old.)
    Rule: When age is underlined, Q.W. will be wie alt, meaning how old.
* Answer 10. Die Universität ist 2 (zwei) Kilometer weit vom Haus. (The University is 2 kilometer away from the house.)
    Rule: When the distance is underlined, Q.W. will be wie weit, meaning how far.
* Answer 11. Wir kommen hierher zweimal in der Woche. (We come here twice in the week.)
    Rule: When frequency is underlined, Q.W. will be wie oft, meaning how often.
   * Rule: When the answer is either in ich or wir, the Question is always in Sie.
* Answer 12. Im Winter hat Indien viele Feste. (In winter India has many festivals.)
    Rule: When time (season) is underlined, Q.W. will be wann hat, meaning when has / have / does.
       This is an exception in example, as it is states a particular time span for the festival.
   * Rule: For Place there are 3 (three) Questions.
* Answer 13. a. Ich komme aus Hanover. (I come from Hanover.)
* Answer 13. b. Ich gehe nach Haus. (I go to house.)
* Answer 13. c. Ich wohne in Hanover. (I live in Hanover.)
   * Rule: Other than Kommen, Gehen, Fahren, Fliegen, the place takes the Q.W. wo, meaning where.
* Answer 14. Er besucht die Dame. (He visits the lady.)
    Rule: When the Akkusativ objekt person (subject name) is underlined, Q.W. is wen, meaning whom.
* Answer 15. Ich lege das Buch hin/beiseite. (I put (down/aside) the book.)
    Rule: When Akkusativ non-person is underlined, Q.W. is was, meaning what.

## Exercise / Übung

Here are a few examples for better understanding the stated methodology and to get a better grip on the daily conversation:
* Translate the following sentences into German.
** Who is called Josef?
** Is her name Sabina?
** When do we have German?
** What is the boy's name?
** Where are you?
** What is the woman's name?
** Why is your name George?
** When is he a man?
* Explain in your own words why the translation of What is your name? — Wie heißen Sie? contains how — wie instead of what — was.
* Provide questions (in German) for the following answers.
** Sie heißen Johannes und Christine.
** Es heißt "Volkswagen".
** Sie heißt Helga.
** Ich heiße Kirstin.
** Wir heißen Fritz und Werner.
** Er heißt Dirk.
* Translated questions:
** Wer heißt Josef?
** Heißt sie Sabine?
** Wann haben wir Deutsch?
** Wie heißt der Junge?
** Wo bist du? / Wo sind Sie?
** Wie heißt die Frau?
** Warum heißt du George?
** Wann ist er ein Mann?
* In German, the question is changed from What are you called? to How are you called? (Note: This is not the only time wie replaces was. For example, when asking to repeat something someone said, Germans usually say Wie bitte? (or just: Bitte?) instead of Was? In fact, the latter is considered impolite.)
* German questions:
** Wie heißen Sie?
** Wie heißt es?
** Wie heißt sie?
** Wie heißt du? / Wie heißen Sie?
** Wie heißt ihr?
** Wie heißt er?