What are Yes/No Questions?
In German, yes or no questions (Ja/Nein Fragen) are questions that can be answered with "ja" (yes) or "nein" (no). The structure of these questions is different from statements, as the verb comes at the beginning of the sentence.
Basic Structure of Yes/No Questions
Sentence Structure:
Verb
→
Subject
→
Object (if applicable)
Example: Hast du das Buch? (Do you have the book?)
Examples of Yes/No Questions
- Bist du müde? (Are you tired?)
- Hast du Hunger? (Are you hungry?)
- Kommst du morgen? (Are you coming tomorrow?)
- Sprichst du Deutsch? (Do you speak German?)
- Ist das dein Hund? (Is that your dog?)
- Kannst du schwimmen? (Can you swim?)
- Arbeitest du heute? (Are you working today?)
- Magst du Kaffee? (Do you like coffee?)
- Geht ihr ins Kino? (Are you going to the cinema?)
- Lebst du in Deutschland? (Do you live in Germany?)
Answering Yes/No Questions
Answering these questions is simple: you can respond with either "ja" (yes) or "nein" (no).
Examples:
- Ja, ich bin müde. (Yes, I am tired.)
- Nein, ich habe keinen Hunger. (No, I am not hungry.)
Common Examples of Yes/No Questions
| German |
English |
| Bist du glücklich? |
Are you happy? |
| Hast du Zeit? |
Do you have time? |
| Fährst du morgen nach Berlin? |
Are you going to Berlin tomorrow? |
| Magst du Eis? |
Do you like ice cream? |
| Ist das dein Auto? |
Is that your car? |
| Kommt er später? |
Is he coming later? |
| Können Sie mir helfen? |
Can you help me? |
| Wohnen Sie in München? |
Do you live in Munich? |
| Hast du das Buch gelesen? |
Have you read the book? |
| Willst du Pizza essen? |
Do you want to eat pizza? |