Pronouns

Interrogative pronoun

Interrogativpronomen

Interrogative pronouns are used to formulate questions about a noun e.g. a thing/person/animal. The question usually concerns selecting a noun from the group (which?) or the type/kind of the noun (what kind of?).

Declension of the pronouns welcher and was für ein

The interrogative pronouns welcher and was für ein are inflected for case and gender.

Maskulinum Femininum Neutrum Plural
Nominativ welcher/was für ein welche/was für eine welches/was für ein welche/was für welche
Genitiv welches/was für eines welcher/was für einer welches/was für eines welcher/was für welcher
Dativ welchem/was für einem welcher/was für einer welchem/was für einem welchen/was für welchen
Akkusativ welchen/was für einen welche/was für eine welches/was für ein welche/was für welche

The interrogative pronoun and its applications

The interrogative pronouns: wer, was, wessen, wem, wen

The interrogative pronouns wer, was, wessen, wem, wen are used to create questions about nouns or pronouns (usually the personal or possessive pronouns).

  • Translation
  • 🤔 Who's this? 👉 It is your new (lady) teacher.
  • Explanation
  • The answer is a person (question about a noun).
  • Translation
  • 🤔 What are you eating? 👉 We are eating a cake.
  • Explanation
  • The answer is a thing (question about a noun).
  • Translation
  • 🤔 Whose glass is here? 👉 Mine.
  • Explanation
  • The answer is a possession (question about a possessive pronoun).
  • Translation
  • 🤔 Whom are you giving a gift to? 👉 To my mother.
  • Explanation
  • The answer is a person (question about a noun).
  • Translation
  • 🤔 Whom do you see? 👉 I see a man in a black suit.
  • Explanation
  • The answer is a person (question about a noun).
The pronouns welcher and was für ein

The interrogative pronoun welcher is used to create questions about a specific choice (e.g. from things we are looking at right now) and the interrogative pronoun was für ein is used to create questions about the type/kind of a noun. Both can be used as an article or replace a noun.

  • Translation
  • Nico has a dog. 🤔 What kind of (dog does Nico have)? 👉 A Jack Russell Terrier.
  • Translation
  • 🤔 Which sweater do you like? 👉 The red (one).