Indirect questions
B1 · Intermediate · Advanced Structures
The rule
Verb at the end; use ob for yes/no.
How it works
An indirect question is a question inside another sentence. The verb moves to the end, and the question word (wo, wann, wie, was) or ob introduces the clause. Indirect questions are common in polite speech and writing: Können Sie mir sagen, wo der Bahnhof ist? (Can you tell me where the station is?)
When to use it
Report a question inside a sentence, such as "Ich weiß nicht, wo der Bahnhof ist".
Use cases
- Asking politely for directions: Wissen Sie, wie ich zum Museum komme?
- Reporting a question: Er fragt, was wir am Abend machen
- Asking for information in a formal email: Ich möchte wissen, wann der Kurs beginnt
Examples
- Weißt du, wo er wohnt? – Do you know where he lives?
- Ich weiß nicht, wo sie wohnt. – I do not know where she lives.
- Kannst du mir sagen, wie spät es ist? – Can you tell me what time it is?
- Er fragt sich, ob der Zug pünktlich ist. – He wonders whether the train is on time.
Common mistake
Keeping the question word order: "Ich weiß nicht, wo ist der Bahnhof" is wrong.
Memory tip
Indirect question = verb at the end. Yes/no questions take ob.
Read the wider picture in our guide: German Verbs and Word Order: Tenses, Modals and Sentence Structure.