Indirect question word order

Level 2

Indirect questions embed a question within another clause, whether or not anyone has already asked it. They normally place the subject before the finite verb: Jag undrar var hon bor.

How It Works

Indirect questions embed a question after an expression such as undra, fråga, or veta. They need not report an earlier utterance: Vet du var hon bor? asks for information now. This changes the sentence structure from a direct question's word order to a subordinate clause's word order.

1. Questions with a Question Word (vad, var, vem, när, etc.)
In an ordinary direct question beginning with a nonsubject question word, the finite verb precedes the subject. In the corresponding indirect question, the subject precedes the finite verb. Subject questions have a separate pattern described below.

  • Direct: Var bor han? (Where does he live?)
  • Indirect: Jag vet inte var han bor. (I don't know where he lives.)

Notice how 'han' (subject) comes before 'bor' (verb) in the indirect version.

2. Yes/No Questions
To make a yes/no question indirect, you introduce the clause with the word om (if/whether). The word order also changes to subject-verb.

  • Direct: Kommer du imorgon? (Are you coming tomorrow?)
  • Indirect: Hon frågade om jag kommer imorgon. (She asked if I am coming tomorrow.)

Common verbs used to introduce indirect questions are fråga (to ask), undra (to wonder), and veta (to know).

When the Question Word Is the Subject
Use som after it in the standard indirect pattern: Vem kommer? becomes Jag undrar vem som kommer. With an object question, the subject is already present: Jag undrar vem hon träffar.

Negation and Time
Sentence adverbs precede the finite verb: Jag undrar varför hon inte kommer. Choose tense and pronouns for the report's perspective; a past introduction does not force backshift when the information remains current. Use a question mark when the whole sentence is a question, as in Vet du var hon bor?, but a period in Jag undrar var hon bor.

Examples (5)

  1. Jag undrar vad klockan är.

    I wonder what time it is.

    Word by Word: I wonder what the-clock is.

    The direct question is 'Vad är klockan?'. In the indirect form, the subject 'klockan' comes before the verb 'är'.

  2. Han frågade om jag talar svenska.

    He asked if I speak Swedish.

    Word by Word: He asked if I speak Swedish.

    This reports a yes/no question ('Talar du svenska?'). The word 'om' is used to introduce the clause.

  3. Kan du berätta för mig var stationen ligger?

    Can you tell me where the station is located?

    Word by Word: Can you tell for me where the-station lies?

    The direct question is 'Var ligger stationen?'. The indirect question keeps the question word 'var' but uses subject-verb order ('stationen ligger').

  4. Vi vet inte när filmen börjar.

    We don't know when the movie starts.

    Word by Word: We know not when the-movie starts.

    Based on the direct question 'När börjar filmen?'. The word order is switched to 'filmen börjar' in the indirect form.

  5. Hon ville veta om biljetterna var dyra.

    She wanted to know if the tickets were expensive.

    Word by Word: She wanted to-know if the-tickets were expensive.

    This reports the yes/no question 'Var biljetterna dyra?'. 'Om' is used, and the subject 'biljetterna' precedes the verb 'var'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using direct question word order (verb before subject) in an indirect question.

    Jag vet inte var bor han.
    Jag vet inte var han bor.

    An indirect question is a subordinate clause, so it must follow subordinate clause word order (subject + verb), not the inverted order of a direct question.

  • Forgetting to use 'om' when reporting a yes/no question.

    Hon frågade har du tid.
    Hon frågade om du har tid.

    An indirect yes/no question needs om (or more formal huruvida) and subordinate order. A direct quotation is a different construction: Hon frågade: ”Har du tid?”.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Indirect question word orderLevel 2

Learn This First

To learn indirect questions, you first need to be familiar with the question words themselves. Crucially, you must understand that while direct questions in Swedish use inverted word order, indirect questions function as subordinate clauses and therefore revert to the standard subject-verb-object word order used in statements and 'att' clauses.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

huruvida