Home›Grammar Topics›Common Irregular Verbs (sein, haben)

Topic 6A1beginner⏱️ 5 min read

Common Irregular Verbs (sein, haben)

Häufige unregelmäßige Verben

🎯 What You'll Learn

✓Master essential question words (wer, was, wo, wann, wie, warum, etc.)
✓Form yes/no questions with verb-first word order
✓Ask W-questions with correct word order
✓Distinguish between 'wer' (who) and 'was' (what)
✓Use question words in everyday conversations

📖 Introduction

Questions are essential for communication! German has two main question types: Yes/No questions (start with the verb) and W-questions (start with a question word). The good news? German question words often sound like English: Wo = Where, Wann = When, Was = What!

💡 Explanation

YES/NO QUESTIONS: Invert the subject and verb - put the verb FIRST! - Statement: Du bist müde. → Question: Bist du müde? (Are you tired?) - Statement: Er kommt. → Question: Kommt er? (Is he coming?)

W-QUESTIONS: Question word + verb + subject + rest - Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) - Was machst du? (What are you doing?) - Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?)

Word order pattern: W-word + VERB + SUBJECT

📋 Key Rules

Essential Question Words

The 'W-family' - memorize these core question words for A1 level.

Examples:

• Wer? = Who? (Wer bist du? - Who are you?)
• Was? = What? (Was machst du? - What are you doing?)
• Wo? = Where? (Wo wohnst du? - Where do you live?)
• Wann? = When? (Wann kommst du? - When are you coming?)
• Wie? = How? (Wie geht's? - How are you?)
• Warum? = Why? (Warum weinst du? - Why are you crying?)
• Wie viel? = How much? (Wie viel kostet das? - How much does that cost?)
• Wie viele? = How many? (Wie viele Kinder hast du? - How many children do you have?)

Yes/No Questions: Verb First

To ask a question that can be answered with yes/no, simply put the verb at the beginning. No 'do/does' needed!

Examples:

• Kommst du? (Are you coming? / Do you come?)
• Sprichst du Deutsch? (Do you speak German?)
• Hast du Zeit? (Do you have time?)
• Ist das gut? (Is that good?)
• Bist du müde? (Are you tired?)

W-Questions: Question Word First, Then Verb

Start with the question word, followed by the verb, then the subject. Think: W + VERB + SUBJECT.

Examples:

• Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) - wo + wohnst + du
• Was machst du? (What are you doing?) - was + machst + du
• Wann kommt er? (When is he coming?) - wann + kommt + er
• Wie heißt du? (What's your name?) - wie + heißt + du
• Warum lernst du Deutsch? (Why are you learning German?)

Wer vs. Was

Wer = people (who), Was = things/actions (what). Don't confuse them!

Examples:

• Wer ist das? (Who is that?) - asking about a person
• Was ist das? (What is that?) - asking about a thing
• Wer kommt? (Who's coming?) - person
• Was kommt? (What's coming?) - thing/event

Wie + Adjective Combinations

'Wie' combines with adjectives to ask 'how + adjective'. Super useful!

Examples:

• Wie alt bist du? (How old are you?)
• Wie groß bist du? (How tall are you?)
• Wie spät ist es? (What time is it? / How late is it?)
• Wie lange? (How long?)
• Wie oft? (How often?)

📝 Examples in Context

🇩🇪 Bist du müde?

🇬🇧 Are you tired?

💡 Yes/No question - verb (bist) comes first

Context: Simple yes/no question, inversion of du bist

🇩🇪 Wo wohnst du?

🇬🇧 Where do you live?

💡 W-question: wo (where) + wohnst (verb) + du (subject)

Context: Asking for location information

🇩🇪 Was machst du?

🇬🇧 What are you doing?

💡 W-question: was (what) + machst (verb) + du (subject)

Context: Very common question in everyday conversation

🇩🇪 Wie heißt du?

🇬🇧 What's your name? (Literally: How are you called?)

💡 W-question with 'wie' - standard way to ask someone's name

Context: Most common introduction question

🇩🇪 Wann kommst du?

🇬🇧 When are you coming?

💡 W-question: wann (when) + kommst + du

Context: Asking about time/schedule

🇩🇪 Wer bist du?

🇬🇧 Who are you?

💡 W-question with 'wer' (who) - asking about person

Context: Direct question about identity

🇩🇪 Wie viel kostet das?

🇬🇧 How much does that cost?

💡 W-question: wie viel (how much) + kostet (verb) + das (subject)

Context: Essential shopping question

🇩🇪 Warum lernst du Deutsch?

🇬🇧 Why are you learning German?

💡 W-question: warum (why) + lernst + du + Deutsch (object)

Context: Asking for reasons/motivation

🇩🇪 Sprichst du Englisch?

🇬🇧 Do you speak English?

💡 Yes/No question - sprichst (verb) comes first

Context: Common question for language abilities

🧠 Memory Tips

💡 The 'W' Connection

German question words often match English: Wo = Where, Wann = When, Was = What, Warum = Why. They all start with 'W'!

💡 Verb Gymnastics

German questions do GYMNASTICS with the verb - it jumps to first position (yes/no) or second position (after W-word). No 'do/does' helper needed!

💡 People vs Things: Wer vs Was

Wer sounds like 'where' but means 'who' (people). Was sounds like 'was' and means 'what' (things). Wer = weR = peRson (has R!).

💡 Wie = How (sounds like 'vee')

'Wie' is your 'how' word. Wie geht's? (How are you?), Wie alt? (How old?), Wie viel? (How much?). One word, many uses!

💡 Yes/No = Verb Hop

Want a yes/no answer? Make the verb HOP to the front! Du kommst → Kommst du? Simple flip!

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌

Using 'do/does' in German questions

✅

English: 'Do you speak German?' German: DON'T say 'Machst du sprechen Deutsch?' Just say 'Sprichst du Deutsch?' No helper verb needed!

❌

Wrong word order in W-questions

✅

'Was du machst?' is WRONG. Correct: 'Was machst du?' Pattern: W-word + VERB + SUBJECT. The verb must come right after the question word!

❌

Confusing 'wo' (where) and 'wer' (who)

✅

'Wo bist du?' = Where are you? 'Wer bist du?' = Who are you? WO = location, WER = person. Don't mix them up!

❌

Forgetting verb inversion in yes/no questions

✅

'Du kommst?' (with rising tone) is informal/casual. Proper question: 'Kommst du?' Put the verb FIRST!

❌

Using 'wie' when you mean 'was'

✅

'Wie ist dein Name?' sounds odd (means 'How is your name?'). Say 'Wie heißt du?' (What are you called?) or 'Was ist dein Name?' (What is your name?).

✏️ Practice Sentences

Wo ist die Toilette?

Where is the toilet?

📚 wo (where) + ist (verb) + die Toilette (subject) - essential survival question!

Wie heißen Sie?

What is your name? (formal)

📚 wie (how) + heißen (are called) + Sie (you, formal) - formal introduction

Was kostet das?

What does that cost? / How much is that?

📚 was (what) + kostet (costs) + das (that) - shopping essential

Wann beginnt der Film?

When does the film start?

📚 wann (when) + beginnt (begins) + der Film (subject)

Kommst du mit?

Are you coming along?

📚 kommst (come) + du (you) + mit (along) - separable verb 'mitkommen'

Warum bist du hier?

Why are you here?

📚 warum (why) + bist (are) + du (you) + hier (here)

Wie viele Geschwister hast du?

How many siblings do you have?

📚 wie viele (how many) + Geschwister (siblings, plural) + hast (have) + du (you)

📚 Related Vocabulary

werwaswowannwiewarumwie vielwie vielewie altwie lange

Home›Grammar Topics›Common Irregular Verbs (sein, haben)

Topic 6A1beginner⏱️ 5 min read

Common Irregular Verbs (sein, haben)

Häufige unregelmäßige Verben

🎯 What You'll Learn

✓Master essential question words (wer, was, wo, wann, wie, warum, etc.)
✓Form yes/no questions with verb-first word order
✓Ask W-questions with correct word order
✓Distinguish between 'wer' (who) and 'was' (what)
✓Use question words in everyday conversations

📖 Introduction

💡 Explanation

W-QUESTIONS: Question word + verb + subject + rest - Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) - Was machst du? (What are you doing?) - Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?)

Word order pattern: W-word + VERB + SUBJECT

📋 Key Rules

Essential Question Words

The 'W-family' - memorize these core question words for A1 level.

Examples:

• Wer? = Who? (Wer bist du? - Who are you?)
• Was? = What? (Was machst du? - What are you doing?)
• Wo? = Where? (Wo wohnst du? - Where do you live?)
• Wann? = When? (Wann kommst du? - When are you coming?)
• Wie? = How? (Wie geht's? - How are you?)
• Warum? = Why? (Warum weinst du? - Why are you crying?)
• Wie viel? = How much? (Wie viel kostet das? - How much does that cost?)
• Wie viele? = How many? (Wie viele Kinder hast du? - How many children do you have?)

Yes/No Questions: Verb First

To ask a question that can be answered with yes/no, simply put the verb at the beginning. No 'do/does' needed!

Examples:

• Kommst du? (Are you coming? / Do you come?)
• Sprichst du Deutsch? (Do you speak German?)
• Hast du Zeit? (Do you have time?)
• Ist das gut? (Is that good?)
• Bist du müde? (Are you tired?)

W-Questions: Question Word First, Then Verb

Start with the question word, followed by the verb, then the subject. Think: W + VERB + SUBJECT.

Examples:

• Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) - wo + wohnst + du
• Was machst du? (What are you doing?) - was + machst + du
• Wann kommt er? (When is he coming?) - wann + kommt + er
• Wie heißt du? (What's your name?) - wie + heißt + du
• Warum lernst du Deutsch? (Why are you learning German?)

Wer vs. Was

Wer = people (who), Was = things/actions (what). Don't confuse them!

Examples:

• Wer ist das? (Who is that?) - asking about a person
• Was ist das? (What is that?) - asking about a thing
• Wer kommt? (Who's coming?) - person
• Was kommt? (What's coming?) - thing/event

Wie + Adjective Combinations

'Wie' combines with adjectives to ask 'how + adjective'. Super useful!

Examples:

• Wie alt bist du? (How old are you?)
• Wie groß bist du? (How tall are you?)
• Wie spät ist es? (What time is it? / How late is it?)
• Wie lange? (How long?)
• Wie oft? (How often?)

📝 Examples in Context

🇩🇪 Bist du müde?

🇬🇧 Are you tired?

💡 Yes/No question - verb (bist) comes first

Context: Simple yes/no question, inversion of du bist

🇩🇪 Wo wohnst du?

🇬🇧 Where do you live?

💡 W-question: wo (where) + wohnst (verb) + du (subject)

Context: Asking for location information

🇩🇪 Was machst du?

🇬🇧 What are you doing?

💡 W-question: was (what) + machst (verb) + du (subject)

Context: Very common question in everyday conversation

🇩🇪 Wie heißt du?

🇬🇧 What's your name? (Literally: How are you called?)

💡 W-question with 'wie' - standard way to ask someone's name

Context: Most common introduction question

🇩🇪 Wann kommst du?

🇬🇧 When are you coming?

💡 W-question: wann (when) + kommst + du

Context: Asking about time/schedule

🇩🇪 Wer bist du?

🇬🇧 Who are you?

💡 W-question with 'wer' (who) - asking about person

Context: Direct question about identity

🇩🇪 Wie viel kostet das?

🇬🇧 How much does that cost?

💡 W-question: wie viel (how much) + kostet (verb) + das (subject)

Context: Essential shopping question

🇩🇪 Warum lernst du Deutsch?

🇬🇧 Why are you learning German?

💡 W-question: warum (why) + lernst + du + Deutsch (object)

Context: Asking for reasons/motivation

🇩🇪 Sprichst du Englisch?

🇬🇧 Do you speak English?

💡 Yes/No question - sprichst (verb) comes first

Context: Common question for language abilities

🧠 Memory Tips

💡 The 'W' Connection

German question words often match English: Wo = Where, Wann = When, Was = What, Warum = Why. They all start with 'W'!

💡 Verb Gymnastics

German questions do GYMNASTICS with the verb - it jumps to first position (yes/no) or second position (after W-word). No 'do/does' helper needed!

💡 People vs Things: Wer vs Was

Wer sounds like 'where' but means 'who' (people). Was sounds like 'was' and means 'what' (things). Wer = weR = peRson (has R!).

💡 Wie = How (sounds like 'vee')

'Wie' is your 'how' word. Wie geht's? (How are you?), Wie alt? (How old?), Wie viel? (How much?). One word, many uses!

💡 Yes/No = Verb Hop

Want a yes/no answer? Make the verb HOP to the front! Du kommst → Kommst du? Simple flip!

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌

Using 'do/does' in German questions

✅

English: 'Do you speak German?' German: DON'T say 'Machst du sprechen Deutsch?' Just say 'Sprichst du Deutsch?' No helper verb needed!

❌

Wrong word order in W-questions

✅

'Was du machst?' is WRONG. Correct: 'Was machst du?' Pattern: W-word + VERB + SUBJECT. The verb must come right after the question word!

❌

Confusing 'wo' (where) and 'wer' (who)

✅

'Wo bist du?' = Where are you? 'Wer bist du?' = Who are you? WO = location, WER = person. Don't mix them up!

❌

Forgetting verb inversion in yes/no questions

✅

'Du kommst?' (with rising tone) is informal/casual. Proper question: 'Kommst du?' Put the verb FIRST!

❌

Using 'wie' when you mean 'was'

✅

'Wie ist dein Name?' sounds odd (means 'How is your name?'). Say 'Wie heißt du?' (What are you called?) or 'Was ist dein Name?' (What is your name?).

✏️ Practice Sentences

Wo ist die Toilette?

Where is the toilet?

📚 wo (where) + ist (verb) + die Toilette (subject) - essential survival question!

Wie heißen Sie?

What is your name? (formal)

📚 wie (how) + heißen (are called) + Sie (you, formal) - formal introduction

Was kostet das?

What does that cost? / How much is that?

📚 was (what) + kostet (costs) + das (that) - shopping essential

Wann beginnt der Film?

When does the film start?

📚 wann (when) + beginnt (begins) + der Film (subject)

Kommst du mit?

Are you coming along?

📚 kommst (come) + du (you) + mit (along) - separable verb 'mitkommen'

Warum bist du hier?

Why are you here?

📚 warum (why) + bist (are) + du (you) + hier (here)

Wie viele Geschwister hast du?

How many siblings do you have?

📚 wie viele (how many) + Geschwister (siblings, plural) + hast (have) + du (you)

📚 Related Vocabulary

werwaswowannwiewarumwie vielwie vielewie altwie lange