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In English, turning a statement into a yes/no question usually means adding a helping verb that wasn't there before: "You drink coffee" becomes "Do you drink coffee?" and "She is tired" becomes "Is she tired?"

In German, there are no helping verbs to add. Every word you need is already in the sentence. All you do is rearrange what's already there — specifically, you move the verb from its usual position to the very front of the sentence. That one swap is all it takes.

1

The Golden Rule: Verb First

In a standard German statement, the verb always sits in position 2 — the second slot in the sentence. To turn that statement into a yes/no question, you simply move the verb into position 1. Everything else stays exactly as it was.

The Question Formula

Verb
position 1
+
Subject
who / what
+
Other Information
rest of sentence
+
?
question mark
Crucial point: The verb does not change form. It stays conjugated exactly the same way it was in the statement — it just changes its seat. Trinkst stays trinkst; it simply moves from position 2 to position 1.
2

Step-by-Step Transformations

Here's the flip in action across three of the most common verb types you'll encounter at A1. The verb is highlighted in orange and the subject in blue so you can track exactly what moves — and what doesn't.

With a Regular Verb
Statement
Du trinkst Kaffee.
You drink coffee.
Question
Trinkst du Kaffee?
Do you drink coffee?
With "To Be" — sein
Statement
Sie ist müde.
She is tired.
Question
Ist sie müde?
Is she tired?
With "To Have" — haben
Statement
Ihr habt einen Hund.
You all have a dog.
Question
Habt ihr einen Hund?
Do you all have a dog?
3

How to Answer: Ja, Nein, or Doch?

Answering a yes/no question is straightforward — right up until someone asks you a negative question. German has a third answer word that English completely lacks, and knowing when to use it will immediately make you sound more natural.

Ja Yes — for standard questions
Nein No — for any question
Doch Yes, actually! — for negative questions only

Ja and Nein — The Simple Pair

For any ordinary, positive question, use ja and nein exactly as you'd expect:

Question Answer English
Kommst du aus Berlin? Ja, ich komme aus Berlin. Yes, I come from Berlin.
Kommst du aus Berlin? Nein, ich komme aus München. No, I come from Munich.

Doch — The Contradiction Word

!
When to use doch

When someone asks a negative question — one that contains nicht or kein — they are essentially assuming you don't do something or don't have something. If that assumption is wrong and you want to say "Yes, I actually do!", you cannot use ja. In German, ja after a negative question would sound contradictory and confusing.

Instead, you use doch. Think of doch as a single word that means "on the contrary" or "actually, yes." It pushes back against the negative assumption.

Question Type The Question Answer English Meaning
Standard question Trinkst du Kaffee?
(Do you drink coffee?)		 Ja, ich trinke Kaffee. "Yes, I drink it."
Standard question Trinkst du Kaffee?
(Do you drink coffee?)		 Nein, ich trinke keinen Kaffee. "No, I don't drink it."
Negative question Trinkst du keinen Kaffee?
(Do you not drink coffee?)		 Nein, ich trinke keinen Kaffee. "Correct, I don't drink it."
Negative question Trinkst du keinen Kaffee?
(Do you not drink coffee?)		 Doch! Ich trinke Kaffee. "On the contrary! I do drink it."
The pattern: Negative question + you want to say yes → always use doch, never ja. If you use ja after a negative question, a German speaker will be confused — doch is the only word that clearly means "yes, despite what you assumed."

Quick Practice

Type the correct answer word — ja, nein, or doch — then press Check Answers.

Ja, Nein, or Doch?

Read the question and the context clue, then type the right answer word. Capitalisation doesn't matter.

  1. 1 Wohnst du in Wien? — You do live in Vienna.
    , ich wohne in Wien.
    Standard positive question, and your answer is also positive.
  2. 2 Hast du einen Bruder? — You have no brothers.
    , ich habe keinen Bruder.
    Standard positive question, but your answer is negative.
  3. 3 Sprichst du kein Deutsch? — You do speak German.
    ! Ich spreche Deutsch.
    The question is negative (kein). You want to contradict the assumption.
  4. 4 Ist das dein Hund? — That is not your dog.
    , das ist nicht mein Hund.
    Standard positive question, negative answer.
  5. 5 Bist du nicht müde? — You are actually tired.
    , ich bin sehr müde!
    The question is negative (nicht). You're pushing back against it — yes, actually!

Study Tips

Two habits that will lock this topic in quickly.

  • 1 Practise the flip out loud. Take any simple statement you know — Ich bin Student. Ich trinke Tee. Er hat ein Auto. — and flip it into a question. Do five of these every day. The word-order swap becomes automatic within a week of spoken practice.
  • 2 Spot the negative before you answer. Before you respond to any question, scan for nicht or kein. If you see either of those words and your answer is "yes," your one job is to say doch. Build this as a deliberate check until it becomes reflex.
  • 3 Don't translate — react. Resist the urge to mentally construct the German question from English. Just flip: see a statement, move the verb to front, add a question mark. The fewer translation steps you take, the faster your German becomes.