Asking questions in Dutch: wie, wat, waar, wanneer, hoe, waarom
Wie, wat, waar, wanneer, hoe, waarom: the Dutch question words, yes-no questions with the verb first, the dropped -t with jij — and the polite questions you need at a counter.
Updated · 2 min read
Yes-no questions: the verb first
Put the conjugated verb first and the subject after it: Je komt morgen → Kom je morgen? With jij or je after the verb, the -t drops (Werk jij?); with u it stays (Werkt u?). See pronouns.
Spreekt u Engels?
Literally: Do you speak English?
Meaning: spreken — formal; informal: Spreek je Engels?
The question words
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wie | who | Wie is dat? |
| wat | what | Wat doe je? |
| waar | where | Waar woon je? |
| waarheen / waar … naartoe | where to | Waar ga je naartoe? |
| wanneer | when | Wanneer begint de les? |
| hoe | how | Hoe gaat het? |
| waarom | why | Waarom ben je te laat? |
| hoeveel | how much / many | Hoeveel kost het? |
| welk / welke | which | Welke trein? (de) / Welk huis? (het) |
| hoe laat | what time | Hoe laat is het? |
After the question word, the verb comes second: Waar woon je? (wonen), Wat doe je? (doen), Wanneer begint de les? (beginnen), Hoeveel kost het? (kosten).
Polite questions
At a counter, on the phone or in a shop, Dutch asks with kunnen, mogen and willen:
Indirect questions
Inside a sentence, a question becomes a subordinate clause with the verb at the end: Weet u waar het station is? — Ik vraag me af of hij komt. (of = whether). See word order.
Practise
- Ask yourself the warm-up questions of the speaking exam: Waar woont u? Wat doet u? Hoe lang woont u hier?
- Answer them in full sentences.
- Learn the answers to how are you and nice to meet you.
- Use weten and begrijpen for when you do not know: Dat weet ik niet. Ik begrijp het niet.
Questions and answers, line by line
16Word’s Dialogues track gives you a partner’s question and asks for your answer — in Dutch, with audio. Page 1 is free.
Keep learning
- Word order
- Pronouns: je, jij or u
- The inburgering speaking exam
- The Dutch grammar hub
- The Dutch phrasebook
- Verb tables: zijn, gaan, komen, moeten, zullen
All our Dutch grammar guides
- Pronunciation, with recordings · Spelling: long and short vowels, f/v, s/z · De or het?
- Plurals and diminutives · Adjective endings: groot or grote? · Personal pronouns: je, jij or u?
- Word order: verb second, verb last · Negation: niet or geen? · The present tense (and d or t)
- The perfect: hebben or zijn? · The simple past and ’t kofschip · Modal verbs: kunnen, moeten, willen, mogen, zullen
- Separable verbs
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask a yes-no question in Dutch?
Put the verb first: Kom je morgen? Spreekt u Engels? With jij or je after the verb, the -t ending drops.
What are the Dutch question words?
Wie (who), wat (what), waar (where), wanneer (when), hoe (how), waarom (why), hoeveel (how much/many), welk/welke (which).
How do you say could you repeat that in Dutch?
Kunt u dat herhalen, alstublieft? — informally, Kun je dat herhalen?
Is it welk or welke?
Welk before a singular het-word (welk huis), welke before de-words and plurals (welke trein, welke huizen).
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Official sources
Keep going
- /grammar/dutch
- Learn Dutch 16 words a day
- Niet or geen? Negation in Dutch
- The Dutch present tense: conjugation, spelling and d or t
- The Dutch perfect tense: hebben or zijn, ge-…-t or ge-…-d
- The Dutch simple past: -te or -de, and the strong verbs
- Dutch modal verbs: kunnen, moeten, willen, mogen, zullen
- Dutch separable verbs: opstaan, aanmelden, invullen
- Dutch pronunciation: g, ui, ij and the long and short vowels (with audio)
- Dutch spelling rules: maken but maak, katten, brieven — and d or t
- All guides