Indirect Questions

Level 3

A direct question Wou wunnt hien? becomes an indirect one inside a sentence: Ech weess net, wou hie wunnt. The question word stays at the front of the clause and the verb goes to the end.

How It Works

1. Question word + verb at the end
The question word opens the clause, and the conjugated verb moves to the end, as in any subordinate clause:

  • Wou wunnt hien? → Ech weess net, wou hie wunnt.
  • Wéini fiert den Zuch? → Weess du, wéini den Zuch fiert?
  • Wéi vill kascht dat? → Kanns du mer soen, wéi vill dat kascht?

2. Yes or no questions: ob
A question without a question word uses ob (whether, if): Kënns du muer? → Hatt freet, ob s de muer kënns. Do not use wann here: wann means when or if as a condition.

3. Punctuation
A comma separates the indirect question from the main clause. The sentence ends with a question mark only when the main clause asks something: Weess du, wou hie wunnt? but Ech weess net, wou hie wunnt.

4. With du
When du or de follows the question word or ob, write a linking s: So mer, wou s de wunns. See The S After Conjunctions With Du.

5. Prepositions stay in front
A preposition stays before its question word: Ech weess net, mat wiem hatt schwätzt. Weess du, fir wéini de Chef dee Rapport brauch? The wou- words work the same way: Ech weess net, wouriwwer si geschwat hunn.

6. Separable verbs
At the end of the clause, a separable verb is written as one word again: Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt. See Separable Verbs Join Up at the End.

Examples (6)

  1. Ech weess net, wou hie wunnt.

    I don't know where he lives.

    Hien loses its n before w, and the verb wunnt goes to the end.

  2. Weess du, wéini den Zuch fiert?

    Do you know when the train leaves?

    The main clause is a question, so the sentence ends with a question mark.

  3. Kanns du mer soen, wéi vill dat kascht?

    Can you tell me how much that costs?

  4. Hatt freet, ob s de muer kënns.

    She's asking whether you're coming tomorrow.

    A yes or no question becomes an ob clause. With de, a linking s is written after ob.

  5. Ech froe mech, firwat de Bus ëmmer ze spéit kënnt.

    I wonder why the bus is always late.

  6. Ech weess net, wéini de Film ufänkt.

    I don't know when the film starts.

    The separable verb ufänken is one word at the end of the clause.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb in second place.

    Ech weess net, wou wunnt hien.
    Ech weess net, wou hie wunnt.

    An indirect question is a subordinate clause, so the verb goes to the end.

  • Using wann for whether.

    Ech weess net, wann et muer reent.
    Ech weess net, ob et muer reent.

    For a yes or no question inside a sentence, use ob. Wann starts a condition or a time (if, when), not a yes or no question.

  • Leaving out the linking s with du.

    So mer, wou de wunns.
    So mer, wou s de wunns.

    When de or du follows a word that starts the clause, the official spelling writes a linking s: wou s de.

How It Connects

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Indirect QuestionsLevel 3

Learn This First

Before Indirect Questions, learn Whether: Ob and What and Who: Wat and Wien.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

wouwéiniwatwienob