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German grammar: Indirect questions

In German, indirect questions are formed by using a subordinating conjunction, such as "ob" (if/whether), "was" (what), "wer" (who), "wann" (when), "wo" (where), "wie" (how), or "warum" (why). The word order in an indirect question follows the same rules as in a regular statement or question, with the conjugated verb in the second position.

Examples:

  • Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. (I don't know if he's coming.)
  • Sie hat gefragt, was ich machen möchte. (She asked what I want to do.)
  • Er hat erklärt, wann die Veranstaltung beginnt. (He explained when the event starts.)

Indirect questions are commonly used after verbs like "wissen" (to know), "fragen" (to ask), "sagen" (to say/tell), "erklären" (to explain), and "erzählen" (to tell/narrate).

It's important to note that the verb in the indirect question remains in the same position as it would in a regular statement or question, unlike in English, where the subject and verb are often inverted in indirect questions.

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