German question words can function as conjunctions or relative pronouns in various contexts. This is particularly common with wann, warum, was, wieviel, wo, woher, wohin, wer, and was. Below is a breakdown of their roles with detailed explanations, examples, and exercises.

1. Question Words Functioning as Conjunctions

1.1 Common Question Words Used as Conjunctions

In German, certain question words can introduce subordinate clauses (Nebensätze), functioning like conjunctions. These words connect the subordinate clause to the main clause.

1.2 Examples

Wann (When)

• Direct Question: Wann kommt er an? (When is he arriving?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Ich weiß nicht, wann er ankommt. (I don’t know when he is arriving.)

Warum (Why)

• Direct Question: Warum bist du müde? (Why are you tired?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Ich verstehe nicht, warum du müde bist. (I don’t understand why you are tired.)

Was (What)

• Direct Question: Was willst du essen? (What do you want to eat?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Sie hat gefragt, was du essen möchtest. (She asked what you want to eat.)

Wieviel (How much)

• Direct Question: Wieviel kostet das? (How much does it cost?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Ich weiß nicht, wieviel es kostet. (I don’t know how much it costs.)

Wo (Where)

• Direct Question: Wo wohnt er? (Where does he live?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Kannst du mir sagen, wo er wohnt? (Can you tell me where he lives?)

Woher (From where)

• Direct Question: Woher kommst du? (Where are you from?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Er hat gefragt, woher du kommst. (He asked where you are from.)

Wohin (To where)

• Direct Question: Wohin gehst du? (Where are you going?)
• Indirect Question (as a conjunction):
  → Ich weiß nicht, wohin sie geht. (I don’t know where she is going.)

2. “Wer” as a Conjunction and Its Declension

When used as a conjunction, wer functions as a relative pronoun and must be declined. It often translates to “he who”, “whoever”, or “the one who”.

Declension of “Wer”

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Wer die Wahrheit sagt, wird belohnt. (Whoever tells the truth will be rewarded.)
      2. Wen du liebst, den solltest du heiraten. (Whoever you love, you should marry.)
      3. Wem ich vertraue, der ist mein Freund. (Whoever I trust is my friend.)
      4. Wessen Buch das ist, weiß ich nicht. (I don’t know whose book this is.)

Common Proverbs with “Wer”

• • • “Wer rastet, der rostet.” (He who rests, rusts.)
    • “Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten.” (He who laughs last, laughs best.)
    • “Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt.” (Who dares nothing, wins nothing.)

3. “Was” as a Relative Pronoun

3.1 “Was” Referring to No Specific Noun

When used as a relative pronoun, was can refer to an unspecified antecedent and translates to “that which” or “whatever”.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Was du gesagt hast, ist interessant. (What you said is interesting.)
      2. Ich verstehe nicht, was er will. (I don’t understand what he wants.)

4. “Was” Referring to Neuter Superlatives and Indefinite Pronouns

4.1 Neuter Superlatives

Whenever a neuter superlative adjective (such as das Beste, das Letzte) is used, was must be used as the relative pronoun.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Das Beste, was ich je gehört habe, war sein Vortrag. (The best thing that I have ever heard was his lecture.)
      2. Das Letzte, was ich gemacht habe, war das Buch zu lesen. (The last thing I did was read the book.)

4.2 Indefinite Pronouns

Was must also be used as a relative pronoun when referring to indefinite pronouns like alles (everything), etwas (something), nichts (nothing), viel (a lot), wenig (little), etc.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Alles, was du brauchst, ist Liebe. (Everything that you need is love.)
      2. Etwas, was mich interessiert, ist Geschichte. (Something that interests me is history.)
      3. Nichts, was er sagt, ist wahr. (Nothing that he says is true.)

Further Clarification on Question Words as Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns

1. Question Words as Conjunctions in Indirect Questions

When question words function as conjunctions, they introduce an indirect question (a subordinate clause). The verb in this clause is placed at the end of the sentence.

Key Rule for Indirect Questions

• Direct questions use verb-second (V2) word order.
• Indirect questions use verb-final (VF) word order because they are subordinate clauses.

Examples:

More Examples:

1. 1. 1. Er will wissen, woher sie kommt. (He wants to know where she is from.)
      2. Ich frage mich, wieviel das kostet. (I wonder how much that costs.)
      3. Wir müssen herausfinden, wohin sie gegangen ist. (We need to find out where she has gone.)

2. “Wer” as a Conjunction and Its Declension

Since wer functions like a relative pronoun meaning “whoever” or “he who”, it must be declined based on its grammatical role in the sentence.

Declension Review

More Examples:

1. 1. 1. Wer fleißig lernt, besteht die Prüfung. (Whoever studies hard passes the exam.)
      2. Wen du magst, ist deine Entscheidung. (Whoever you like is your decision.)
      3. Wem ich helfen kann, dem helfe ich gerne. (Whoever I can help, I gladly help.)
      4. Wessen Fehler das war, spielt keine Rolle. (Whose mistake that was doesn’t matter.)

3. “Was” as a Relative Pronoun

3.1 “Was” Referring to an Unknown or Undefined Noun

When was is used as a relative pronoun, it means “what”, “that which”, or “whatever” and refers to something not specifically named.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Was er gesagt hat, war richtig. (What he said was correct.)
      2. Ich verstehe nicht, was du meinst. (I don’t understand what you mean.)
      3. Was du nicht weißt, kann dir nicht schaden. (What you don’t know can’t hurt you.)

3.2 “Was” Referring to Neuter Superlatives

If the antecedent is a neuter superlative adjective, was must be used as the relative pronoun.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Das Beste, was du tun kannst, ist abzuwarten. (The best thing you can do is wait.)
      2. Das Letzte, was ich gehört habe, war nicht gut. (The last thing I heard wasn’t good.)
      3. Das Einzige, was zählt, ist deine Gesundheit. (The only thing that matters is your health.)

3.3 “Was” Referring to Indefinite Pronouns

When referring to indefinite pronouns such as alles (everything), etwas (something), nichts (nothing), viel (a lot), wenig (little), etc., was must be used.

Examples:

1. 1. 1. Alles, was du sagst, ist wahr. (Everything that you say is true.)
      2. Etwas, was mich interessiert, ist Musik. (Something that interests me is music.)
      3. Nichts, was er tut, überrascht mich. (Nothing that he does surprises me.)
      4. Vieles, was ich gelernt habe, kommt aus Büchern. (A lot of what I have learned comes from books.)