Explanation
What are Indirect Questions?
In German, indirect questions (indirekte Fragen) are used to make requests more polite or to report what someone else has asked. Instead of asking a direct question like "Where is the station?", you might say "Can you tell me where the station is?" These are technically subordinate clauses, which means the word order changes compared to a normal direct question.
Structure and Word Order
The most important rule for indirect questions is the verb position. In a direct question, the conjugated verb is usually in the first or second position. However, in an indirect question, the conjugated verb must move to the very end of the sentence. The sentence starts with an introductory phrase like Ich weiß nicht... (I don't know...), Können Sie mir sagen... (Can you tell me...), or Er fragt... (He asks...).
W-Fragen vs. Ja/Nein-Fragen
There are two types of indirect questions. If the direct question starts with a question word (W-Wort) like wer, wie, was, wann, warum, wo, you use that same word to connect the introductory phrase to the question. If the direct question is a "Yes/No" question (starting with a verb), you must use the conjunction ob (if/whether) to connect the clauses. In both cases, the verb always moves to the end.
Reference Tables
| Question Type | Direct Question | Indirect Question Structure |
|---|---|---|
| W-Frage | Wo kommst du her? | Ich möchte wissen, wo du herkommst. |
| Ja/Nein-Frage | Kommst du heute? | Er fragt, ob du heute kommst. |
| Separable Verb | Räumst du ab? | Ich weiß nicht, ob du den Tisch abräumst. |
Examples
Kannst du mir sagen, wo du herkommst?
Can you tell me where you come from?
Ich möchte wissen, ob du das Essen noch würzen musst.
I want to know if you still have to season the food.
Er fragt, warum du beim Essen so viel gähnst.
He asks why you yawn so much while eating.
Ich weiß nicht, ob meine Eltern mir erlauben, meine Haare zu färben.
I don't know if my parents allow me to dye my hair.
Darf ich fragen, wann du den Tisch abräumen kannst?
May I ask when you can clear the table?
Common Mistakes
In an indirect question, the conjugated verb must go to the very end of the clause, not position 2.
For Yes/No questions, you must use the conjunction 'ob' to connect the clauses.
With separable verbs in the final position of a subordinate clause, the prefix and the base verb are written as one word.