Indirect Questions
Learn to report German wh-questions and yes/no questions as subordinate clauses. Practise question words or ob, verb-final order, and polite introductory phrases.
Explanation
Indirect questions as subordinate clauses
Indirect questions report a question instead of asking it directly. They often follow **Ich weiß nicht ...**, **Können Sie mir sagen ...?**, **Sie möchte wissen ...**, or **Wir fragen uns ...**.
Wh-questions
Keep the original question word:
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| Wo arbeitet Amir? | Ich weiß nicht, **wo Amir arbeitet**. |
| Wann ist der Kurs zu Ende? | Können Sie mir sagen, **wann der Kurs zu Ende ist**? |
| Mit wem hat Lea telefoniert? | Er fragt, **mit wem Lea telefoniert hat**. |
Yes/no questions
If there is no question word, introduce the indirect question with **ob** (“whether/if”):
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| Ist der Laden noch offen? | Ich weiß nicht, **ob der Laden noch offen ist**. |
| Hat Nora reserviert? | Er fragt, **ob Nora reserviert hat**. |
| Kann man hier bezahlen? | Sie möchte wissen, **ob man hier bezahlen kann**. |
Do not use **wenn** for an indirect yes/no question.
Word order
An indirect question is a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb goes to the end: **wo der Bus hält**, **ob die Gäste angekommen sind**, **wann wir losfahren müssen**. In the perfect tense the auxiliary is last; with a modal construction, the infinitive comes before the final modal verb. Separate the main clause and indirect question with a comma.
Punctuation
Use a question mark only when the whole main clause is a question:
- Ich weiß nicht, wann das Büro öffnet.
- Können Sie mir sagen, wann das Büro öffnet?
Quick choice
Keep a question word if there is one; otherwise use **ob**. Put the finite verb last—the auxiliary in the perfect tense or the modal after its infinitive—and choose punctuation according to the main clause.
Exercises
- Rewrite the direct question as a complete indirect-question sentence. (10)
- Arrange the words into a correct indirect question. Keep the conjugated verb at the end of the subordinate clause. (10)
- Choose the grammatically correct indirect question. (10)
B1 · German · Grammar