Question words
A1 Vraagwoorden 11 / 48
In short
Open questions (those that need real information, not just yes/no) start with a question word, then the finite verb, then the subject: Waar woon je? (“Where do you live?”). There is no helper like English “do”.
The rule
The basic pattern is question word + finite verb + subject + rest:
| Vraagwoord | English | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| wie | who | Wie ben jij? | Who are you? |
| wat | what | Wat doe je? | What are you doing? |
| waar | where | Waar woon je? | Where do you live? |
| wanneer | when | Wanneer kom je? | When are you coming? |
| waarom | why | Waarom lach je? | Why are you laughing? |
| hoe | how | Hoe heet je? | What’s your name? (lit. how are you called) |
| hoeveel | how much / how many | Hoeveel kost het? | How much does it cost? |
| welk / welke | which | Welke kleur vind je mooi? | Which colour do you like? |
Key points:
- The verb is always in second position (V2), just like in statements; the question word fills the first slot, so the subject moves after the verb (inversion). Compare statement Je woont hier -> question Waar woon je?
- No “do”-support. English “Where do you live?” is simply Waar woon je?
- wie can be the subject (Wie komt? - Who is coming?) or the object (Wie zie je? - Who(m) do you see?).
- welk / welke = “which one (of a known set)”. Use welk with a singular het-word, welke with a singular de-word and with all plurals.
- wat voor (een) = “what kind of”. The een is optional and only appears with a singular countable noun: Wat voor (een) auto heb je? / Wat voor boeken lees je? (no een in the plural).
Forms & patterns
welk vs. welke (“which”):
| Noun type | Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| de-word, singular | welke | welke stoel | which chair |
| het-word, singular | welk | welk huis | which house |
| plural (always de) | welke | welke boeken | which books |
Fixed combinations with hoe / hoeveel:
| Pattern | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| hoe laat | what time (clock) | Hoe laat is het? | What time is it? |
| hoe lang | how long (duration) | Hoe lang blijf je? | How long are you staying? |
| hoe oud | how old (age) | Hoe oud ben je? | How old are you? |
| hoeveel + noun | how much / many | Hoeveel broers heb je? | How many brothers do you have? |
waar + preposition (where + with/to/from). In modern Dutch these often split, with the preposition at the end:
| One word | Split (common in speech) | English |
|---|---|---|
| waarvandaan | Waar kom je vandaan? | Where are you from? |
| waarheen | Waar ga je heen? | Where are you going (to)? |
| waarmee | Waar schrijf je mee? | What are you writing with? |
These combined forms work like er-words; the full system is covered in The word er.
Examples
| Nederlands | English |
|---|---|
| Wie is die man? | Who is that man? |
| Wat eet je? | What are you eating? |
| Waar is het station? | Where is the station? |
| Wanneer begint de les? | When does the lesson start? |
| Waarom ben je boos? | Why are you angry? |
| Hoe gaat het met je? | How are you? |
| Hoeveel kinderen hebben jullie? | How many children do you have? |
| Welk boek lees je? | Which book are you reading? |
| Wat voor muziek vind je leuk? | What kind of music do you like? |
| Hoe laat kom je thuis? | What time are you coming home? |
Common mistakes
- Waarom je bent boos? -> Waarom ben je boos? - the finite verb must come second, right after the question word (V2).
- Where do you live -> Waar doe je wonen? -> Waar woon je? - Dutch has no “do”; just conjugate the main verb.
- Welke huis -> Welk huis - singular het-words take welk (no ending); de-words and plurals take welke.
- Wat boek lees je? -> Welk boek lees je? - use welk(e) to pick from a known set; wat voor (een) asks about the kind/type.
- Hoe laat ben je? (for age) -> Hoe oud ben je? - hoe laat = clock time; hoe oud = age.
- Hoe veel kost het? -> Hoeveel kost het? - hoeveel is written as one word.
Tips
- After the question word, think “verb second”: the pattern is identical to a yes/no question but with the question word stuck in front (see Yes/no questions).
- welk(e) = choose from a limited, known set; wat voor (een) = describe the type or quality. Welke jas? (which of these coats) vs. Wat voor jas? (what kind of coat).
- Many “where + preposition” questions sound more natural when split: Waar kom je vandaan? beats the bookish Waarvandaan kom je?
- Memory hook: the w-words (wie, wat, waar, wanneer, waarom, welke) cover who/what/where/when/why/which; hoe and hoeveel cover how/how much.