wo(r)- + Preposition
Wo-Compounds
Wo-compounds (e.g., Womit? Wofür?) are used to ask questions about objects, concepts, or activities. They replace the combination of a preposition and the word 'was'.
How It Works
Wo-compounds are essential for using verbs with fixed prepositions.
1. Formation:
- Consonant start: wo + preposition (e.g., womit, wofür, wovon)
- Vowel start: wo + r + preposition (e.g., woran, worüber, worauf)
2. The Animacy Rule:
This is the most important rule: Wo-compounds are ONLY for things.
- Asking about a thing: Worauf wartest du? (What are you waiting for? — e.g., the bus)
- Asking about a person: Auf wen wartest du? (Who are you waiting for? — e.g., your friend)
3. Usage as Relative Pronouns:
They can also be used as relative pronouns when referring to indefinite words like etwas or nichts (e.g., Das ist etwas, worüber ich mich freue).
4. Exclusions:
You cannot form these with genitive prepositions (like wegen) or specific dative/accusative ones like ohne or seit.
Examples (5)
- Womit hast du das repariert?
What did you repair that with?
Word by Word: Where-with have you that repaired?
Uses 'womit' because 'mit' starts with a consonant. It asks about a tool or object.
- Worüber sprecht ihr gerade?
What are you (plural) talking about right now?
Word by Word: Where-over speak you just?
Uses 'worüber' with an '-r-' because 'über' starts with a vowel.
- Wofür interessierst du dich?
What are you interested in?
Word by Word: Where-for interest you yourself?
The verb 'interessieren' uses the preposition 'für'. To ask 'in what', we use 'wofür'.
- Woran denkst du?
What are you thinking about?
Word by Word: Where-on think you?
The verb 'denken' uses 'an'. Since 'an' starts with a vowel, we use 'woran'.
- Wovon träumst du nachts?
What do you dream about at night?
Word by Word: Where-of dream you nightly?
The verb 'träumen' uses 'von'. To ask 'about what', we use 'wovon'.
Common Mistakes
Using a wo-compound for a person.
Womit spielst du? (referring to a friend)Mit wem spielst du?Wo-compounds are strictly for inanimate objects or ideas. For people, use the preposition + 'wen' or 'wem'.
Forgetting the '-r-' interfix before a vowel.
Woauf wartest du?Worauf wartest du?If the preposition starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), you must insert an '-r-' to make it easier to pronounce.
Using English word order (preposition stranding).
Was wartest du auf?Worauf wartest du?In German, the preposition cannot be left at the end of the sentence. It must be fused into the wo-compound at the beginning.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand wo-compounds, you need to know the basic interrogative 'wo' and how prepositions function in German. Since wo-compounds are the question form of da-compounds, understanding how to replace a 'preposition + thing' construction with a single compound word is the key conceptual hurdle.
- wo/wohin/woherWhere/To Where/From Where
The 'wo-' prefix in these compounds is derived from the interrogative 'wo', and understanding its role in forming questions is essential.
Level 1 - da(r)- + PrepositionDa-Compounds
Da-compounds and wo-compounds follow the same morphological rules (including the use of the 'r' connector) and serve as the answer/statement counterpart to these questions.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- Fixed Verb-Preposition Combinations
Wo-compounds are primarily used to ask questions involving verbs that require specific prepositions.
Level 3 - wer/wasWho/What
Wo-compounds function as the prepositional version of the question word 'was'.
Level 1 - der/die/dasRelative Pronoun
Wo-compounds can also function as relative pronouns in specific sentence structures.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice wo(r)- + Preposition in Bubblegum
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