Question Word Questions
Ordinary direct Danish hv-questions (who, what, where, etc.) place the finite verb after the initial question phrase. Unlike English, Danish does not use 'do' to form questions.
How It Works
In Danish, open-ended questions are called hv-spørgsmål because almost all question words start with 'hv-'.
1. The V2 Rule
The most critical difference from English is that Danish never uses 'do-support'. You don't say 'Where do you live?'; you say 'Where live you?' (Hvor bor du?). The verb must be the second element in the sentence.
2. Word Order Patterns
- When the question word is the Object: Question Word + Verb + Subject.
Example: Hvad spiser du? (What are you eating?) - When the question word is the Subject: Question Word + Verb + Object.
Example: Hvem ser dig? (Who sees you?)
3. Common Question Words
4. Manner vs. Degree
Be careful with 'how'. Use hvordan for manner (Hvordan går det? - How is it going?). Use hvor + adjective for degree (Hvor gammel er du? - How old are you?).
5. Special Cases
When using hvilken (which), the word must match the gender of the noun. When using hvor mange (how many/much), the whole phrase counts as the first position, so the verb still comes second.
Long Question Phrases And Auxiliary Verbs: Hvor mange bøger har du læst? has the entire phrase hvor mange bøger first, then the finite har; læst stays later. When the question phrase is itself the subject, no extra subject follows: Hvem kommer?. For an indirect question, use Jeg ved ikke, hvor du bor; direct-question inversion is not a rule for all clauses containing an hv-word.
Examples (5)
- Hvad hedder du?
What is your name?
Word by Word: What call you?
Notice the verb 'hedder' is in the second position, immediately after 'hvad'.
- Hvor bor han?
Where does he live?
Word by Word: Where lives he?
Danish does not use 'does'. The main verb 'bor' moves to the second position.
- Hvornår kommer de?
When are they coming?
Word by Word: When come they?
Even with the present continuous in English ('are coming'), Danish uses the simple present tense verb in the second position.
- Hvorfor græder barnet?
Why is the child crying?
Word by Word: Why cries child-the?
The question word 'hvorfor' is followed by the verb 'græder'.
- Hvem er det?
Who is that?
Word by Word: Who is that?
A simple question using the verb 'er' (to be).
Common Mistakes
Using 'do' or 'does' to form a question.
Hvad gør du spise?Hvad spiser du?Danish never uses an auxiliary 'do' (gør) to form questions. Use the finite lexical verb or an existing auxiliary: Hvad spiser du? / Hvad har du spist?
Using embedded-question order for an ordinary direct question.
Hvor du bor?Hvor bor du?In an ordinary direct question whose question phrase is not the subject, the finite verb precedes the subject. An embedded question instead has Hvor du bor, and echo questions may reuse that wording in speech.
Using 'hvordan' instead of 'hvor' for degree.
Hvordan gammel er du?Hvor gammel er du?Use 'hvordan' for manner (how something is done), but use 'hvor' when asking about degree or quantity followed by an adjective (e.g., how old, how tall).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form wh-questions, you need to understand basic Danish word order, be familiar with common question words like 'hvad' or 'hvor', and know how to conjugate verbs in the present tense to correctly place them after the question word.
- hvadWhat
Learners need to be familiar with individual question words (wh-words) before they can use them in full sentence structures.
Level 1 - -rPresent Tense -r
Since wh-questions require placing the verb before the subject, the learner must know how to conjugate basic verbs in the present tense.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Verb-Second Word Order
Ordinary direct hv-questions put the finite verb after the initial question phrase; subject questions and embedded questions require their own analysis.
Level 2 - Yes/No Questions
Yes/no questions also involve moving the verb, but they start with the verb instead of a question word.
Level 1 - hvorWhere
A common 'hv-' word used to ask about location.
Level 1 - hvilken/hvilket/hvilkeWhich
A specific type of 'hv-' question that requires agreement with the noun's gender.
Level 1 - Finite Verb + ikkePlacement of Ikke
Learn where to place 'ikke' (not) when asking negative questions like 'Why don't you...?'
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Question Word Questions in Bubblegum
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