A yes-no question normally starts with the conjugated verb, followed by the subject.
The idea
Any infinitive or participle remains at the end: Kannst du kommen? Hast du bezahlt? When contradicting a negative question, use doch rather than a potentially unclear ja.
| Form / Muster | Beispiel / Gegensatz |
|---|---|
| Aussage | Du hast Zeit. |
| Frage | Hast du Zeit? |
| Modalverb | Kannst du kommen? |
| Perfekt | Hast du bezahlt? |
Examples
- Kommst du heute mit?
- Ist der Platz noch frei?
- Haben Sie eine Fahrkarte?
- Kannst du das Fenster öffnen?
- Hat er schon bezahlt?
- Fährt der Bus zum Bahnhof?
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Put the finite verb first in a neutral yes-no question, keeping any infinitive or participle at the end. Use Doch to contradict a negative assumption: Du kommst nicht? Doch, ich komme.
Try it yourself
___ du heute Zeit? (Hast / Du hast)
Show answer or example answer
Hast
Answer: “Hast”. A yes-no question begins with the finite verb, followed by its subject.
Kann sie morgen ___? (kommt / kommen)
Show answer or example answer
kommen
Answer: “kommen”. The finite verb is already present; this complementary verb stays in the infinitive.
Du kommst nicht? ___, ich komme. (Doch / Nein)
Show answer or example answer
Doch
Answer: “Doch”. Doch explicitly contradicts the negative assumption in the question.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
___ du heute Zeit? (Hast / Du hast)
Kann sie morgen ___? (kommt / kommen)
Du kommst nicht? ___, ich komme. (Doch / Nein)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account and carry on with the story in the game.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write two yes-no questions about tomorrow's plans. Start each with the conjugated verb. Then write a negative question and contradict it in an answer with doch.