To ask an open question in Dutch, start with a question word: _wie_ (who), _wat_ (what), _waar_ (where), _wanneer_ (when), _hoe_ (how), _waarom_ (why), _hoeveel_ (how much, how many) or _welk_ and _welke_ (which). Put the verb (the action word) straight after it. Then comes the subject (the person or thing doing it), unless the question word is the subject itself. So "Where do you live?" is _Waar woon je?_, with no extra word for "do".
The pattern
The question word, or a phrase with it like _welke bus_, comes first, and the verb comes second. The subject follows the verb, unless the question word or phrase is itself the subject.
- _wie_ (who): _Wie is dat?_
- _wat_ (what): _Wat drink je?_
- _waar_ (where): _Waar is het station?_
- _wanneer_ (when): _Wanneer kom je?_
- _hoe_ (how): _Hoe gaat het?_
- _waarom_ (why): _Waarom lach je?_
- _hoeveel_ (how much, how many): _Hoeveel kost het?_
- _welke_ (which) with _de_ words and all plurals, _welk_ with singular _het_ words: _welke trein_, _welk huis_ (more in [Welk or welke](#/lesson/welk-or-welke))
When the question word or phrase is the subject, there is no separate subject after the verb: _Wie heeft een pen?_, _Welke bus gaat naar het centrum?_
When _je_ or _jij_ is the subject and comes after a present-tense verb, leave off the -t ending: _Waar woon jij?_ When _je_ means your, the -t stays: _Waar woont je broer?_ See [Werk jij? Where the t disappears](#/lesson/jij-inversion).
Examples
| Wie heeft een pen? | Who has a pen? |
|---|---|
| Wat eet je vanavond, Priya? | What are you eating tonight, Priya? |
| Waar woont Mei? | Where does Mei live? |
| Wanneer is je verjaardag, Daan? | When is your birthday, Daan? |
| Hoe gaat het met Lotte? | How is Lotte doing? |
| Waarom ben je zo laat, Ahmed? | Why are you so late, Ahmed? |
| Hoeveel kost een kilo appels? | How much does a kilo of apples cost? |
| Hoeveel kinderen heeft Fatima? | How many children does Fatima have? |
| Welke bus gaat naar het centrum? | Which bus goes to the centre? |
| Welk boek lees je? | Which book are you reading? |
Why it works this way
Dutch main sentences have one firm habit: the verb sits in second place (see [verb second](#/lesson/verb-second)). In a question, the question word or phrase takes first place, so the verb follows at once and the subject, if there is a separate one, waits behind it.
English does this too, but only with small verbs like is and can: "Where is Sanne?", "What can you do?" With most other verbs, English adds "do". Dutch does not. The real verb simply moves forward: _Waar werkt Sanne?_ is literally "Where works Sanne?"
The good news: _wie_, _wat_ and _waar_ look a lot like who, what and where. A word worth learning well is _hoe_ (how), because it comes back in _hoeveel_ (how much) and _hoe laat_ (what time).
Remember: picture two front seats. The question word or phrase takes seat one, the verb takes seat two, and everyone else sits behind them.
Watch out
- Not: _Waar jij woont?_ Say: _Waar woon jij?_ (the verb comes straight after the question word)
- Not: _Wat drinkt jij?_ Say: _Wat drink jij?_ (no -t ending when the subject _jij_ follows the verb)
- Not: _Wat tijd is het?_ Say: _Hoe laat is het?_ (for clock time, Dutch asks "how late")
- Not: _Wie heet je?_ Say: _Hoe heet je?_ (_wie_ means who; the German "wie" is Dutch _hoe_)
- Not: _Welke boek lees je?_ Say: _Welk boek lees je?_ (_boek_ is a singular _het_ word)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap: _... broers heeft Yara?_ The reply is: _Twee._
- Choose _welk_ or _welke_: _... fiets is van Emma?_ (It is _de fiets_.)
- Fix the sentence: _Waar Sanne werkt?_
- Fill in the gap: _... ben je zo blij, Joris?_ The reply is: _Omdat het vrijdag is!_
Answers
- _Hoeveel_ (the reply is a number)
- _Welke_ (_fiets_ is a _de_ word)
- _Waar werkt Sanne?_ (the verb comes straight after the question word)
- _Waarom_ (the reply gives a reason with _omdat_, because)
Use it today
At the supermarket or the station today, ask one real question with a question word, such as _Waar is de melk?_ or _Hoe laat vertrekt de trein?_ Check that your verb comes right after the question word.