Questions

A question with a yes-or-no answer is formed by taking a normal sentence and putting the word cu at the beginning. cu is derived from the Esperanto word 'ĉu' which has the same function. It is the only root word in Koolaŋ not derived from English.

• You want play (You want to play) → Cu you want play? (Do you want to play?)
• Še is okay → (She is okay) → Cu še is okay? (Is she okay?)

These questions can be answered with the words yes or no.

• Yes, me want play "Yes, I want to play"
• No, še no is okay "No, she is not okay"

Other kinds of questions can be expressed using question words such as:

• ho (who)
• wat (what/which)
• wen (when)
• were (where)
• wi (why)
• how (how)
• howmuc (how much)

These question words are always placed at the beginning of question sentences. Other parts of the sentence's word order, however, remain unchanged.

• Ho you want see? "Who do you want to see?"
• Wat we moðer is kookeŋ? "What is our mother cooking?"
• Wen ðe viziter komel? "When is the visitor coming?"
• Were ðe toilets is? "Where are the toilets?"
• Wi you is in you room? "Why are you in your room?"
• How you doed ðat? "How did you do that?"
• Howmuc salad you want? "How much salad do you want?"

Questions as Subordinate Clauses

These question words can also initiate subordinate clauses.

• Me kan gues ho you want see "I can guess who you want to see"
• Me want know wat we moðer is kookeŋ "I want to know what our mother is cooking"
• You ised eateŋ diner wen me komed "You were eating dinner when I arrived"
• Ðey no know were me hided ðe bateri "They don't know where I hid the battery"