Question Words in Dutch
Watch the video about question words in Dutch and read the explanation below.
Question Words in Dutch
Here is a list of Dutch question words with an example from the dialogues
| wie | who | Wie ben jij? |
| wat | what | Wat doe je? |
| waar | where | Waar ben je? |
| wanneer | when | Wanneer zie je hen? |
| hoe | how | Hoe gaat het met je cursus? |
| hoeveel | how many | Hoeveel woorden ken je nu? |
| welk, welke | which | Op welk nummer woon je? |
Word order
In questions formed with question words, the word order is as follows:
question word – verb – subject …. and the rest.
| Wie ben je? | Who are you? |
| Waar woont jouw zus? | Where does your sister live? |
| Wanneer ga je naar Italië? | When do you go to Italy? |
| Wat studeert je broer? | What does your brother study? |
| Hoe gaat hij naar Berlijn? | How does he go to Berlin? |
Hoe
Hoe can be used on its own:
| Hoe gaat het? | How is it going? |
But it is often used in combination with a specification:
| Hoe oud zijn de kinderen? | How old are the children? |
| Hoe duur is de bus? | How much is the bus? |
| Hoe laat is het nu? | What time is it now? |
| Hoeveel woorden ken je? | How many words do you know? |
Welk
The use of welk depends on the gender of the noun Welke is used with a de-woord and welk is used with a het-woord.
| de cursus | welke cursus? | which course? |
| het nummer | welk nummer? | which number? |
Yes/No Questions in Dutch
Yes/no questions are questions to which the answer is always “yes” or “no”.
In a yes/no question the word order is as follows:
verb – subject – rest
| Woon je in Groningen? | Do you live in Groningen? |
| Wil je koffie? | Do you want coffee? |
| Hebben jullie ook vakantie? | Do you also have a holiday? |
Practise with Quizlet
Dutch Grammar Practice
Would you like to practice Dutch grammar? Please visit our grammar section on question words on Quizlet (if you prefer Quizlet to open in a separate window, click the CTRL key while clicking the link).
Reach your personal and professional goals
Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.
Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.
