Questions and Answers with Prepositions in German

German prepositional questions follow one simple rule: use wo(r)- + preposition when you ask about a thing or an idea, and preposition + wen/wem when you ask about a person. This guide shows you how to form these questions, which case to use, and how to answer them naturally with da- compounds. If you’re new to question words in general, start with our guide to German W-questions.

Quick Reference: wo(r)- or Preposition + wen/wem?

When forming questions with prepositions in German, everything comes down to what you’re asking about:

• If the answer refers to a thing, idea, or situation → use wo(r) + preposition (woran, wofür, worauf, worüber…)

• If you are asking about a person → use preposition + wen/wem (auf wen, für wen, mit wem…)

• If you are asking about a place or direction → use wo, wohin, or woher (no compound)

Things get wo(r)-. People get a preposition + wen or wem.

Examples:

Types of Prepositional Questions in German

German distinguishes between prepositional questions about things and prepositional questions about people because of how the language handles prepositional complements – structures where certain verbs must be followed by specific prepositions (warten auf, denken an, sich interessieren für, etc.).

Many German verbs are commonly used with specific prepositions, so it’s important to memorize them.

Asking About Things, Ideas or Situations

When the complement refers to a thing or abstract concept, German uses pronominal adverbs formed with wo(r) + preposition.

These adverb-like forms allow German to avoid using a generic “what + preposition” structure.

Some of these verbs are reflexive, like sich interessieren für. If mich, dich, and sich still trip you up, see our guide to reflexive verbs.

The -r- insertion rule

When the preposition begins with a vowel, German inserts an -r- between wo and the preposition so the compound is pronounceable.

• wo + an → woran

• wo + in → worin

• wo + über → worüber

• wo + aus → woraus

Without the -r- the words would crash together awkwardly, so German adds the consonant buffer.

Complete List of Common wo- Compounds

The table below lists the most frequent wo(r)-compounds, their basic meaning and a typical verb that goes with them. Hover over a verb to see its translation, then listen to each compound in a full sentence below the table.

Asking About People

But when the complement refers to a person, German needs to preserve case marking (Accusative with wen, Dative with wem).

Using the form preposition + wen/wem keeps that morphological information clear.

This split is also tied to the verb itself: each verb “expects” a particular preposition, and German adapts its question form depending on whether the missing complement is a person or a thing.

Preposition + wen/wem

When the missing information refers to a person, German does not use wo- forms.
Instead, it switches to:

• preposition + wen → when the verb requires the accusative

• preposition + wem → when the verb requires the dative

How to choose Accusative (wen) vs Dative (wem)?

Look at the verb + preposition combination:

• warten auf takes the accusative → auf wen

• sprechen mit takes the dative → mit wem

Some prepositions make the choice easy. Mit, nach, von, zu, bei, and aus always take the dative, and für, gegen, and um always take the accusative. With two-way prepositions such as an, auf, in, über, and vor, the verb decides: denken an takes the accusative, but teilnehmen an takes the dative.

Contrast Examples

Case note: warten auf takes the accusative, while spielen mit takes the dative.

Question Formation Rules

1. Identify whether the missing information is a person or a thing or idea.

2. Identify the preposition required by the verb (e.g., auf, an, mit, über).

3. Apply the correct question pattern.

Which structure to use?

The same forms work in indirect questions, where the verb moves to the end: Ich weiß nicht, worauf sie wartet.

How to Answer: da- and dar-Compounds

Once you can ask questions with wo- forms, the next step is answering them naturally. German speakers usually don’t repeat the whole prepositional phrase if it’s already clear from context.

Short, natural answers

Instead of repeating the full phrase:

German answers typically keep just the preposition + noun/pronoun.

Pronominal Adverbs: da-/dar- + preposition

German has a powerful tool called pronominal adverbs – structures that begin with da- (or dar- before vowels) followed by a preposition:

Put question and answer together, and you get a natural exchange:

These words replace an entire prepositional phrase referring to a thing or idea.

Why “da-/dar-”?

In English, we say “on it“, “about it“, “with it“.

German uses one compact word instead of two.

Compare:

Mini-Exercise: Practice Prepositional Questions

Convert each question to its “person” or “thing” equivalent.

Frequently Asked Questions