German Question Words Made Easy: Wer, Wen, Wem & More

German question words can feel like a maze, especially when "wer", "wen" and "wem" all look similar, or when you wonder why “was” doesn’t work in front of a noun. But once you understand how German organizes its question words, everything starts to click into place. In this guide, we’ll break down all of the major German question words, from the basics to the tricky compounds, so you know exactly which one to use and when.

The Big Four: Wer, Was, Wo, Wann

Let’s start with the core question words every learner encounters:

• wer = who
• was = what
• wo = where
• wann = when

These are your foundation. They behave predictably and appear constantly in everyday German.

Examples:

Wer ist das? - Who is that?

Was machst du? - What are you doing?

Wo wohnst du? - Where do you live?

Wann beginnt der Film? - When does the movie start?

Common beginner mistakes

English speakers often confuse "wer" and "wo", because they look like “where” and “who,” but the meanings are reversed. Another major mistake is using was before a noun. For “What color is this?”, you actually need "welche Farbe…?", not "was Farbe".

For a more intricate look at the differences between "was", "was für" and "welcher", check out this post: Was, Was für, & Welcher: What? What kind of? Which? What's the difference? 

Woher and Wohin: Asking About Movement

German expands on “wo” by adding direction:

• woher = from where (origin)
• wohin = to where (destination)

Use them when the place isn’t static.

Examples:

Woher kommst du? - Where are you from?
Wohin gehst du? - Where are you going?

These are essential when talking about travel, arrival, departure, or movement in general.

For more about "wo", "wohin" and "woher", check out this post: Wo, Wohin, Woher: When "where" isn't specific enough for Germans 

Adding Nuance: Wie, Warum, Welch-, and Wie viel/viele

The next layer adds nuance and detail to your questions:

• wie = how
• warum = why
• welcher / welches / welche = which
• wie viel / wie viele = how much / how many

“Warum” is pretty easy. You use it pretty much the same as the English word “why”.

 Example:

Warum lernst du Deutsch? - Why are you learning German?

Did you know there are actually a lot more ways to ask "why" in German? Find out why here: Wieso, Weshalb, Warum & Many More: Why are there so many ways to say "why"?

"Wie" forms many everyday phrases:

Wie heißt du? - What’s your name?
Wie viel kostet das? - How much does that cost?

Remember the difference between "wie viel" and "wie viele":

wie viel → uncountable things

wie viele → countable things

For more about "wie", "wie viel" and "wie viele", check out this deep dive: Wie, Wie viel, Wie viele: How is "How" so complicated? 

Welcher works like a der-word. It changes with gender and case:

Welcher Film…? (masc. nominative)

Welches Buch…? (neut.)

Welche Bücher…? (plural)

Welchen Mann…? (masc. accusative)

The Tricky Ones: Wessen, Wen, Wem

These are the question words that cause the most confusion:

• wessen = whose (genitive)
• wen = whom (accusative, direct object)
• wem = to whom/for whom (dative, indirect object)

Examples:

Wessen Auto ist das? - Whose car is that?

Wen siehst du? - Whom do you see?

Wem gibst du das Buch? - To whom are you giving the book?

The pronoun trick

To check which form to use, swap the question word with a masculine pronoun:

wer → er (who → he)

wen → ihn (whom → him)

wem → ihm (to whom → to him)

If “er,” “ihn,” or “ihm” fits, you’ve found the right question word.

For a deep dive into these question words, check out this post: Wer, Wen, Wem & Wessen: Question Words for People Explained

The Wo-/Wor- Compounds: A Uniquely German Feature

German does something English doesn’t: it combines "wo" (or "wor") with prepositions to create new question words used for asking about things or ideas.

Common examples:

• womit - with what
• worüber - about what
• worauf - waiting for what / on what

Examples:

Womit schreibst du? - What are you writing with?

Worüber sprichst du? - What are you talking about?

Worauf wartest du? - What are you waiting for?

Important rule:

• Use wo-/wor- compounds for things
• Use "mit wem", "über wen", "auf wen", etc. for people

For more about da- and wo-compounds, check out this deep dive: Da- & Wo-Compounds: Now they are just making up question words

Wrap-Up: Your Roadmap to Mastery

German question words aren’t random. They’re structured, logical, and deeply connected to the grammar of the sentence. Once you understand how they work with cases, gender, and prepositions, choosing the right one becomes second nature.

If you want to go deeper, I’ve created complete lessons on each major German question word. Check the links below for detailed breakdowns and even more examples.

Wer, Wen, Wem & Wessen: Question Words for People Explained

Was, Was für, & Welcher: What? What kind of? Which? What's the difference?

Wie, Wie viel, Wie viele: How is "How" so complicated? 

Wieso, Weshalb, Warum & Many More: Why are there so many ways to say "why"?

Wo, Wohin, Woher: When "where" isn't specific enough for Germans

Da- & Wo-Compounds: Now they are just making up question words