Dutch grammar: indirecte vragen

What this grammar point covers

Indirect questions in Dutch are sentences where you ask for information in a polite or indirect way, often inside another sentence. The word order changes compared to direct questions.

When to use it

Use indirect questions in Dutch when you want to ask something politely, report a question, or are unsure about something. They are common in formal situations or when you don't want to sound too direct.

Key forms

• Introduce with words like: of, wat, waar, wanneer, hoe, waarom, wie
• No inversion: the verb goes to the end of the clause
• No question mark at the end

Examples

Tips

• In indirect questions, the verb goes to the end of the sentence.
• Do not use a question mark at the end of an indirect question.
• Remember to use 'of' for yes/no questions and words like 'waar', 'wat', 'hoe' for information questions.