German · A1 · Everyday language
Tell Me More in German
Use these friendly German questions after school to invite your child to share small details about their day.
What you'll learn
- Ask simple questions with wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie.
- Talk about friends, school things and after-school activities.
- Use a familiar question pattern: question word + verb + subject.
German phrases for tell me more
Wer ist dein neuer Freund?
Who is your new friend?
For a female friend, say: „Wer ist deine neue Freundin?“
Was ist in deiner Brotdose?
What is in your lunchbox?
„Die Brotdose“ is a lunchbox, not just a box for bread.
Wo ist deine Schultasche?
Where is your school bag?
Use „wo“ to ask where something is.
Wann fängt Fußball an?
When does football start?
This asks when the football activity starts. „Fußball“ means football in British English and soccer in American English.
Warum lachst du?
Why are you laughing?
German uses the simple present here: „du lachst“ means both 'you laugh' and 'you are laughing'.
Wie geht es deinem Wackelzahn?
How is your loose tooth?
Literally, 'How is your loose tooth doing?' „Wackelzahn“ is a child-friendly word for a loose tooth.
Was sind deine Hausaufgaben?
What is your homework?
German normally uses the plural „Hausaufgaben“, so use „sind“ rather than „ist“.
Wo ist dein Lesebuch?
Where is your reading book?
„Das Lesebuch“ is a book used for reading practice.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Freund / die Freundin
friend
Use „Freund“ for a male friend and „Freundin“ for a female friend.
die Brotdose
lunchbox
You may also hear „die Lunchbox“.
die Schultasche
school bag
A structured school backpack is often called „der Schulranzen“.
anfangen
to start
In „Wann fängt Fußball an?“, the verb splits into „fängt“ and „an“.
der Wackelzahn
loose tooth
The word combines „wackeln“ (to wobble) and „Zahn“ (tooth).
die Hausaufgaben
homework
This is plural. One homework task is „eine Hausaufgabe“.
das Lesebuch
reading book
A book for learning or practising reading.
Six useful question words
Put the question word at the beginning. Choose it according to the information you want.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who: a person | wer | Wer ist dein neuer Freund? |
| What: a thing or task | was | Was sind deine Hausaufgaben? |
| Where: a place | wo | Wo ist deine Schultasche? |
| When: a time | wann | Wann fängt Fußball an? |
| Why: a reason | warum | Warum lachst du? |
| How: a condition or way | wie | Wie geht es deinem Wackelzahn? |
Building simple questions
The conjugated verb usually comes directly after the question word. German does not add 'do' or 'does' to form these questions.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Common pattern | question word + verb + subject | Wo ist deine Schultasche? |
| Question word as subject | wer or was + verb + remaining information | Was ist in deiner Brotdose? |
| Separable verb | question word + conjugated verb + subject + prefix | Wann fängt Fußball an? |
Saying 'your'
Use „dein“ with masculine and neuter nouns and „deine“ with feminine and plural nouns in the subject forms shown here. Other grammatical roles can change the ending.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine or neuter | dein | dein neuer Freund; dein Lesebuch |
| Feminine or plural | deine | deine Schultasche; deine Hausaufgaben |
| Location inside the lunchbox | in deiner Brotdose | Was ist in deiner Brotdose? |
| Asking how something is doing | Wie geht es + dative? | Wie geht es deinem Wackelzahn? |
More examples
Wer ist dein neuer Freund? – Das ist Ben.
Who is your new friend? – That's Ben.
„Das ist …“ is a simple way to identify someone.
Was ist in deiner Brotdose? – Ein Apfel.
What is in your lunchbox? – An apple.
A short answer is perfectly natural.
Wann fängt Fußball an? – Um vier Uhr.
When does football start? – At four o'clock.
Use „um“ with a clock time.