Indirect Questions

Level 2

Indirect questions are used to report what someone asked or to express uncertainty. Unlike direct questions, they do not use inversion; they follow the standard Subject + Verb order of subordinate clauses.

How It Works

Indirect questions function as subordinate clauses. This means they follow specific rules that differ from main clauses:

  • Word Order: In a direct question, the verb comes before the subject (e.g., Hvor bor han?). In an indirect question, the subject comes before the verb (e.g., Jeg ved ikke, hvor han bor.).
  • Yes/No Questions: If the original question was a yes/no question, use the conjunction om (meaning 'if' or 'whether').
  • The 'der' Rule: If the question word or phrase (like hvem, hvad, hvilken, or hvor mange) is the subject of the clause, you must insert der immediately after it. For example: Jeg ved ikke, hvem der kommer. If the question word is the object, do not use 'der'.
  • Adverb Placement: Central adverbs like ikke (not) or aldrig (never) must be placed before the verb in these clauses.
  • Preposition Placement: In Danish indirect questions, prepositions usually stay at the end of the clause (e.g., Jeg ved ikke, hvem du taler med).
  • Punctuation: In Danish, you must place a comma before the indirect question clause. The sentence ends with a period (.), not a question mark, unless the main clause itself is a question.

Examples (5)

  1. Han spørger, hvornår bussen kommer.

    He asks when the bus is coming.

    Word by Word: He asks, when bus-the comes.

    Notice the word order: 'bussen' (subject) comes before 'kommer' (verb).

  2. Jeg ved ikke, om hun er hjemme.

    I don't know if/whether she is home.

    Word by Word: I know not, whether she is home.

    We use 'om' for yes/no questions (Direct: Er hun hjemme?).

  3. Ved du, hvad der skete?

    Do you know what happened?

    Word by Word: Know you, what there happened?

    Because 'hvad' is the subject of the inner question, 'der' must be added.

  4. Hun vil gerne vide, hvorfor du ikke ringede.

    She would like to know why you didn't call.

    Word by Word: She will gladly know, why you not called.

    In subordinate clauses, 'ikke' moves before the verb 'ringede'.

  5. Jeg kan ikke huske, hvem der vandt.

    I can't remember who won.

    Word by Word: I can not remember, who there won.

    Again, 'der' is required because 'hvem' is the subject of the action 'vandt'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using V2 (inversion) in the indirect clause.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvor er han.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvor han er.

    Learners often carry over the direct question order. In indirect questions, the subject must come first.

  • Using 'hvis' instead of 'om' for 'if/whether'.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvis han kommer.
    Jeg ved ikke, om han kommer.

    'Hvis' is only for conditions (e.g., 'If it rains...'). For questions, you must use 'om'.

  • Forgetting 'der' when the question word is the subject.

    Ved du, hvem ringede?
    Ved du, hvem der ringede?

    If 'hvem' or 'hvad' acts as the subject, Danish requires the dummy subject 'der'. If they are the object, 'der' is not used (e.g., 'Jeg ved ikke, hvem du så').

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Indirect QuestionsLevel 2

Learn This First

To learn indirect questions, you first need to be familiar with the question words used in direct questions. Crucially, you must understand that indirect questions behave like subordinate clauses, meaning they use a different word order than direct questions (no inversion). Finally, you need to know how to use 'om' to translate 'if' or 'whether' for indirect yes/no questions.

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Words in This Pattern

om