Latest / Learn German with Fexingo / German Question Words: Wie, Warum & Wo
Transcript
- Lucas: Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to Learn German with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Lucas, we've been on quite a journey lately. Last episode we were at the garden center, remember? Lucas: Oh, yes, the garden center. We learned all about Pflanzen und Blumen. But today, let's change the scenery a bit. Luna: I'm ready. What are we exploring today? Lucas: Today, we're going to learn how to ask questions in German. I'm talking about question words. Luna: Oh, like who, what, where? That kind of thing? Lucas: Exactly. And we'll focus on three very useful ones: wie, warum, and wo. Luna: Okay. And what do they mean? Lucas: Wie means 'how' or 'what' in certain contexts. Warum means 'why'. And wo means 'where'. Luna: Great. So how do I ask 'How are you?' Lucas: You say: Wie geht es dir? Luna: Wie geht es dir? Lucas: Perfect. And note, this is the informal way. If you want to be formal, you'd say 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' Luna: Oh, so that's like the polite version. Lucas: Right. Now, if you want to ask 'How much does this cost?' you say 'Wie viel kostet das?' Luna: Wie viel kostet das? Lucas: Good. That will come in handy when you're shopping. Luna: I remember we did some shopping at the flea market. I should have known that then. Lucas: Well, now you do. Let's move on to 'warum'. It's as simple as saying 'Warum?' which means 'Why?' Luna: Warum? Lucas: Exactly. And you can use it just like in English. For example, 'Warum lernst du Deutsch?' means 'Why are you learning German?' Luna: Warum lernst du Deutsch? That's a good question. I mean, I'm already learning with you, Lucas. Lucas: True. And our last one is 'wo', meaning 'where'. For instance, 'Wo ist die Toilette?' is 'Where is the toilet?' Luna: Wo ist die Toilette? Lucas: Perfect. That's a lifesaver when you're out and about. Luna: I can imagine. And what about 'Where are you from?' Is that also with 'wo'? Lucas: Great question. You'd say 'Woher kommst du?' Luna: Woher kommst du? Lucas: Yes. Note that we add 'her' to make it 'where from'. So it's a bit different, but very common. Luna: Good to know. So let's review: wie for how, warum for why, and wo for where. Lucas: You got it. And remember, with 'wie' we often use 'wie viel' for 'how much'. Luna: Right. Wie viel kostet das? I need to practice that one. Lucas: You'll use it a lot. Now, let's put these into a tiny conversation. Luna, you're at a café. I'll be the waiter. You want to ask how much a cake is and where the restroom is, and then you ask me why I'm so cheerful. Luna: Okay, let me try. Wie viel kostet der Kuchen? Lucas: Der Kuchen kostet drei Euro. Luna: Und wo ist die Toilette? Lucas: Die Toilette ist hinten links. Luna: Und warum bist du so fröhlich? Lucas: das ist ein Geheimnis. Luna: You said '' in German, Lucas. That doesn't count. But I think I did okay. Lucas: You did great. Let's say those phrases once more, slowly. Wie geht es dir? Luna: Wie geht es dir? Lucas: Wie viel kostet das? Luna: Wie viel kostet das? Lucas: Warum? Luna: Warum? Lucas: Wo ist die Toilette? Luna: Wo ist die Toilette? Lucas: Und woher kommst du? Luna: Woher kommst du? Lucas: Perfect. And you know, these question words are so useful in everyday life. And speaking of everyday life, I want to take a quick moment to say something, Luna. Luna: Sure, what is it? Lucas: If Fexingo has been helping you make real progress with German, whether it's these question words or anything else we've covered, remember that listener support is what keeps this show going. A couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo genuinely makes a difference. Luna: Yeah, it's like giving a tip to your favorite coffee shop. It supports the whole operation. Lucas: Exactly. And it helps us keep making free lessons for everyone. But no pressure at all. Now, back to questions. Do you remember how to ask where someone is from? Luna: Woher kommst du? Lucas: Great. And how would you answer that? Luna: Ich komme aus... hmm, I don't know any countries in German. Lucas: That's okay. We'll cover that another time. For now, just remember the question. Let's do one more round. I'll say a phrase, you repeat. Wie geht es dir? Luna: Wie geht es dir? Lucas: Wie viel kostet das? Luna: Wie viel kostet das? Lucas: Warum? Luna: Warum? Lucas: Wo ist die Toilette? Luna: Wo ist die Toilette? Lucas: Und woher kommst du? Luna: Woher kommst du? Lucas: Excellent. You're ready to ask questions in German. Practice these until we chat again. This is Lucas. Luna: And Luna. Thanks for listening, and see you next time.