Questions With a Question Word
(Question Phrase) + Verb + Subject + ...? OR (Subject Question Word) + Verb + Object?
How It Works
In Dutch, forming a question with a question word follows specific rules depending on what the question word represents.
1. The V2 Rule (Verb Second)
If the question word or phrase is not the subject, it occupies the first position and the conjugated verb follows in the second position. This pushes the subject to the third position. Note that for welke/welk, you use welk for singular het-words and welke for de-words and all plurals.
2. Subject Questions
If the question word (usually wie or wat) is the subject, no inversion occurs. The order is Subject + Verb + Object. While 'wie' and 'wat' usually take a singular verb, plural phrases like 'welke mensen' take a plural verb. In these questions, the word er is often added to sound more natural.
Example: Wie spreekt er Nederlands?
3. The 'Jij' vs. 'U' Rule
When you use inversion with jij or je, the verb loses its -t ending. However, this does not apply to the formal u. The -t always stays with u.
Example: Waar woon jij? vs. Waar woont u?
4. Pronominal Adverbs (Splitting)
When asking a question with a preposition (like 'with what'), Dutch uses waarmee. In natural speech, these are often split: 'waar' stays at the front, and the preposition moves further back.
Example: Waar schrijf je mee?
5. Separable and Multiple Verbs
For separable verbs, the prefix moves to the end. If there is a modal verb, the conjugated verb is second and the infinitive goes to the very end.
Example: Wat wil je eten?
Note on Indirect Questions: When a question is embedded inside another sentence (e.g., "I don't know where he is"), Dutch uses indirect question word order, where the verbs move to the end of the clause.
Examples (6)
- Waar woon jij?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where live you?
The verb 'woon' comes second. The '-t' is dropped because 'jij' follows the verb.
- Wie spreekt er Nederlands?
Who speaks Dutch?
Word by Word: Who speaks there Dutch?
When 'wie' is the subject, we often use 'er' to make the sentence sound more natural.
- Welke mensen komen naar het feest?
Which people are coming to the party?
Word by Word: Which people come to the party?
If the question phrase is plural (like 'Welke mensen'), the verb must also be plural ('komen').
- Waar schrijf je mee?
What are you writing with?
Word by Word: Where write you with?
In spoken Dutch, prepositional question words like 'waarmee' are often split, with 'waar' at the start and the preposition at the end.
- Hoe laat gaat de trein?
What time does the train go?
Word by Word: How late goes the train?
The entire phrase 'Hoe laat' counts as the first position, followed immediately by the verb.
- Wanneer bel je hem op?
When do you call him?
Word by Word: When call you him up?
For the separable verb 'opbellen', the prefix 'op' moves to the very end of the question.
Common Mistakes
Putting the verb at the end of a main-clause question.
Wat jij doet?Wat doe jij?In a main-clause question, the verb comes right after the question word: 'Wat doe jij?' Verb-last order ('Wat jij doet') belongs to subordinate clauses, as in 'Ik vraag wat jij doet.'
Forgetting to drop the '-t' with 'jij'.
Waar woont je?Waar woon je?When 'jij' or 'je' follows the verb in a question, the '-t' suffix is always removed from the verb stem.
Incorrect placement of the second verb.
Wat wil drinken je?Wat wil je drinken?In a sentence with two verbs, the second verb (the infinitive) must go to the very end of the sentence.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To form questions with a question word, you need to understand basic sentence structure, the specific question words themselves, and how the verb conjugation changes when the subject follows the verb.
- watWhat
Learners must be familiar with the individual question words (like wat, waar, waarom) before they can use them in a sentence structure.
Level 1 - Dropping -t Before Jij
In Dutch questions, the verb often loses its -t ending when followed by 'jij', which is a crucial morphological change in this specific word order.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Verb-second Rule
This is the underlying rule that governs why verbs move in Dutch questions.
Level 3 - Dutch Has No Do
Explains why English speakers shouldn't use 'do' when asking questions in Dutch.
Level 1 - Yes/No Questions
Shows how questions are formed without a question word by starting with the verb.
Level 1 - Indirect Questions
Contrasts how word order changes when a question is embedded inside another sentence.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Questions With a Question Word in Bubblegum
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