Interrogative Pronouns: wer, wen, wem, wessen, was
Learn to ask about people, possession, and things with wer, wen, wem, wessen, and was. Also practise standalone forms of welch- and was für ein when the noun is omitted.
Explanation
Asking about people and things
**Interrogative pronouns** replace the person or thing you are asking about. Their form also shows the case.
| Case | Person | Thing |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | **wer?** | **was?** |
| Accusative | **wen?** | **was?** |
| Dative | **wem?** | usually preposition + **wo(r)-** |
| Genitive / possession | **wessen?** | **wessen?** |
- **Wer** wartet draußen? - Eine Kundin. *(subject)*
- **Wen** besuchst du? - Meinen Onkel. *(accusative object)*
- **Wem** hilfst du? - Meiner Nachbarin. *(dative object)*
- **Wessen** Schlüssel liegt hier? - Leas Schlüssel. *(possession)*
- **Was** brauchst du? - Einen Stift. *(thing)*
**Wer, wen, and wem** can refer to women, men, or several people. The sentence function, not gender, determines the form.
How to choose the form
1. Decide whether you are asking about a person or a thing.
2. Identify the missing element's role: subject, accusative object, dative object, or possessor.
3. Put the interrogative pronoun first. The finite verb normally comes second.
- **Mara ruft den Techniker an.** → **Wen ruft Mara an?**
- **Der Rucksack gehört dem Schüler.** → **Wem gehört der Rucksack?**
- **Jonas hat die Tür geöffnet.** → **Wer hat die Tür geöffnet?**
For people, keep the preposition before the pronoun: **Mit wem sprichst du?**, **Für wen ist das Paket?** For things, German normally uses **wo(r) + preposition**: **womit, wofür, woran, worauf**.
Standalone welch-
When choosing from known alternatives, **welch-** can replace the noun. Its ending agrees with the omitted noun's case, gender, and number.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | welcher | welche | welches | welche |
| Accusative | welchen | welche | welches | welche |
| Dative | welchem | welcher | welchem | welchen |
| Genitive (rare) | welches | welcher | welches | welcher |
Genitive forms with **welch-** are rare in everyday questions; at A2, this row is mainly for recognition.
- Hier sind zwei Mäntel. **Welchen** nimmst du?
- Drei Lampen sind reduziert. **Welche** gefällt dir?
Standalone was für ein
**Was für ein** asks about type or qualities. Without a noun, **ein-** takes a pronoun ending:
- masculine: **Was für einer? / Was für einen? / Was für einem?**
- feminine: **Was für eine? / Was für einer?**
- neuter: **Was für eins? / Was für einem?**
- plural: **Was für welche?**
Compare:
- known selection: **Welchen** möchtest du - den roten oder den blauen?
- open question about type: **Was für einen** möchtest du - einen leichten oder einen besonders warmen?
Exercises
- Write a complete question about the marked part of the sentence. Use the correct interrogative pronoun and word order. (11)
- Complete each question with the correct interrogative pronoun. First decide: person or thing, and which case? (11)
- Choose the correct standalone form. Distinguish a known selection with welch- from an open question with was für ein. (11)
A2 · German · Grammar