LangritYes/No questions (inversion)
To make a yes/no question, swap the subject and the verb:
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| Jij spreekt Nederlands. | Spreek je Nederlands? |
| Hij woont in Den Haag. | Woont hij in Den Haag? |
| Jullie hebben kinderen. | Hebben jullie kinderen? |
| U bent de dokter. | Bent u de dokter? |
Remember: with jij/je, the -t drops when the verb comes first: Spreek je? (not Spreekt je)
Question words (vraagwoorden)
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wie | who | Wie is dat? — Who is that? |
| wat | what | Wat eet je? — What are you eating? |
| waar | where | Waar woon je? — Where do you live? |
| wanneer | when | Wanneer kom je? — When are you coming? |
| waarom | why | Waarom leer je Nederlands? — Why are you learning Dutch? |
| hoe | how | Hoe gaat het? — How are you? |
| hoeveel | how many/much | Hoeveel kost het? — How much does it cost? |
| welk(e) | which | Welke taal spreek je? — Which language do you speak? |
Word order in question-word questions
The pattern is: Question word + verb + subject + rest
- Waar woon je? — Where do you live?
- Wat doe je? — What do you do?
- Hoe heet je? — What is your name? (lit. How are you called?)
- Wanneer begint de les? — When does the lesson start?
Common question phrases
- Hoe gaat het (met je)? — How are you?
- Hoe heet je? — What is your name?
- Waar kom je vandaan? — Where do you come from?
- Wat is je telefoonnummer? — What is your phone number?
- Spreek je Engels? — Do you speak English?