Interrogativpronomen (Question Pronouns: wer, was, welcher)
Question pronouns ask about people, things and choices. wer (who) changes with the case, just like the article der. For word order in questions, see questions.
wer and was
| Case | People | Meaning | Things | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | wer | who | was | what |
| Akkusativ | wen | who(m) | was | what |
| Dativ | wem | (to) who(m) | – | – |
| Genitiv | wessen | whose | (wessen, rare) | – |
For things after a preposition, German uses wo- + preposition (wor- before a vowel): womit? (with what?), worüber? (about what?), worauf? (on what?): Worauf wartest du? (What are you waiting for?) Mit was? is heard in speech, but womit? is standard. For people, the preposition comes before wen or wem: Mit wem sprichst du? (Who are you talking to?) Auf wen wartest du? (Who are you waiting for?)
Wer hat das Spiel gewonnen?Who won the game?
Wen hast du gestern getroffen?Who did you meet yesterday?
Wem gehört das Fahrrad?Who does the bike belong to?
Wessen Kind spielt im Garten?Whose child is playing in the garden?
Womit schreibst du? – Mit einem Bleistift.What are you writing with? – With a pencil.
Mit wem fährst du in Urlaub?Who are you going on holiday with?
Common mistake
Wer hast du gestern gesehen? is wrong; correct: Wen hast du gestern gesehen?
English uses who for subject and object. In German the object of sehen is accusative, so who becomes wen. wer is only for the subject: Wer hat dich gesehen?
welcher (which)
welcher, welche, welches asks for a choice from a known group. It takes the endings of der, die, das: Welchen Film? (accusative masculine), In welchem Zimmer? (dative neuter).
Welches Heft gehört dir?Which exercise book is yours?
Welchen Kellner kennst du?Which waiter do you know?
In welcher Straße wohnst du?Which street do you live in?
Hier sind zwei Jacken. Welche gefällt dir?Here are two jackets. Which one do you like?
was für ein (what kind of)
was für ein asks about the type or quality of something. ein takes its normal endings, and the case depends on the rest of the sentence, not on für: Was für einen Wagen fährst du? (accusative because of fahren). In the plural and with uncountable nouns there is no ein: Was für Bücher liest du?
Was für ein Restaurant möchtest du eröffnen?What kind of restaurant would you like to open?
Was für einen Film willst du sehen?What kind of film do you want to see?
Mit was für einem Handy telefonierst du?What kind of phone do you use?
Was für Musik hörst du gern?What kind of music do you like?
Without a noun, was für einer, was für eine, was für eins and in the plural was für welche are used: Ich habe ein neues Fahrrad. – Was für eins? (What kind?)
Check yourself
Written by: Fatih Ün, German teacher · Last updated: