Indirect Questions (Indirekte Fragen)

Asking a stranger “Wo ist der Bahnhof?” works in an emergency, yet in daily German conversation it often sounds abrupt. Indirect questions (indirekte Fragen) let you wrap a question inside a statement (I don’t know…) or a polite request (Could you tell me…).

The grammar rule behind every indirect question is identical to what you learned in Subordinating Conjunctions & Verb-Final Rule: once a question becomes a subordinate clause, a comma separates it from the main clause and the conjugated verb moves to the very end.

1. Indirect W-Questions (Using the Same W-Word)

When your original question starts with an interrogative word such as wer, was, wo, wohin, woher, wann, warum, wie, or welcher (covered in Interrogative Pronouns), keep that exact W-word as the conjunction after the comma and kick the finite verb to the end.

Look closely at compound tenses like the Perfekt example above (Warum ist er gegangen?): in a direct question, the auxiliary ist stands in Position 2 and the past participle gegangen sits at the end. In the indirect question, the conjugated verb (ist) moves past the participle to the absolute end: warum er gegangen ist.

With separable verbs, the prefix and stem rejoin at the end of the clause (Wann fährt der Bus ab? → Wissen Sie, wann der Bus abfährt?).

2. Indirect Yes/No Questions (Using ‘ob’)

Direct yes/no questions have no W-word—they open straight with the verb (Kommt er morgen?). To turn any yes/no question into an indirect question, insert the conjunction ob (whether / if) right after the comma and send the conjugated verb to the end.

Why ‘ob’ Is Never ‘wenn’ or ‘dass’

English uses the word if for both conditions (If it rains, I’ll stay home) and indirect yes/no questions (Ask him if he has time). German splits those two meanings strictly:

• Use ob whenever you can substitute whether or not: Er fragt, ob du Zeit hast.
• Use wenn only for conditions or time (Wenn du Zeit hast, komm vorbei!).
• Use dass only when reporting a known or stated fact, never an open question (Er sagt, dass er Zeit hat).

Common Introductory Phrases

You can combine almost any W-clause or ob-clause with these everyday starters:

Notice that punctuation follows the introductory clause, not the embedded question:

• Statement opener → period: Ich weiß nicht, wo der Ausgang (der Ausgang) ist**.***
• Question opener → question mark: Wissen Sie, wo der Ausgang ist**?***

Polite Requests in Everyday Life

In shops, train stations, offices, and cafés across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, switching from a direct question to an indirect question instantly softens your tone. Using the Konjunktiv II form Könnten Sie… makes a request even more courteous:

• Direct (blunt): Wo ist der Bahnhof (der Bahnhof)? — Where is the train station?
• Indirect (polite): Entschuldigung, könnten Sie mir sagen, wo der Bahnhof ist? — Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?
• Direct (blunt): Haben Sie heute geöffnet? — Are you open today?
• Indirect (polite): Darf ich fragen, ob Sie heute geöffnet haben? — May I ask whether you are open today?

Fronting an Indirect Question

Just like any subordinate clause, an indirect question can also occupy Position 1 before the main clause. When it comes first, the main clause immediately begins with its conjugated verb:

• Ob er morgen kommt, weiß ich noch nicht. — Whether he is coming tomorrow, I don’t know yet.
• Wann die Besprechung (die Besprechung) beginnt, steht in der E-Mail. — When the meeting starts is stated in the email.

Common Mistakes (Wrong vs. Right)

Remember the two-step formula: keep the W-word (or insert ob for yes/no questions), and push the conjugated verb straight to the period or question mark.