At CEFR level A1, learners discover how to use interrogative pronouns to ask questions about people and things in German, replacing unknown nouns with question words that change form depending on case — an essential skill for basic conversation.
wer, was, welcher, was für ein
Interrogative pronouns are question words we use to ask about people, things, or specific choices. They help us gather information by replacing the unknown element in a question. Unlike interrogative articles (which always come with a noun), interrogative pronouns stand alone and replace the noun entirely.
Interrogative pronouns are words that help us ask questions when we want to find out who or what we’re talking about. They replace the noun in the question, so we don’t need to repeat information we don’t know yet. The most common interrogative pronouns in German ask about people (wer, wen, wem) or things (was).
Asking about a person:
Der Lehrer erklärt die Grammatik.
The teacher explains the grammar.
Wer erklärt die Grammatik?
Who explains the grammar?
We use “wer” because we’re asking about a person in Nominativ case
Asking about a thing:
Ich lese ein Buch.
I read a book.
Was liest du?
What are you reading?
We use “was” because we’re asking about a thing
The interrogative pronouns wer and was change their form depending on the grammatical case. The case depends on the role the unknown person or thing plays in the sentence.
| Kasus | Wer? (Personen) | Was? (Sachen) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | wer | was |
| Akkusativ | wen | was |
| Dativ | wem | (was) |
| Genitiv | wessen | wessen |
Important: The Dativ form of “was” is rarely used in modern German. For things in Dativ, we typically use prepositions with other constructions. The Genitiv forms (wessen) are used in formal contexts and at A1 level are less common.
Let’s explore how to use these interrogative pronouns in different cases with practical examples:
Use Nominativ when asking about the subject of the sentence (who or what is doing the action).
Wer kommt heute zur Party?
Who is coming to the party today?
Was liegt auf dem Tisch?
What is lying on the table?
Use Akkusativ when asking about the direct object of the sentence (who or what is receiving the action).
Wen besuchst du morgen?
Whom are you visiting tomorrow?
Was kaufst du im Supermarkt?
What are you buying at the supermarket?
Use Dativ when asking about the indirect object (to whom or for whom something is done). This is most common with Dativ verbs or after certain prepositions.
Wem gehört dieses Auto?
To whom does this car belong?
Wem gibst du das Geschenk?
To whom are you giving the present?
Mit wem sprichst du?
With whom are you talking?
The interrogative pronoun welcher/welche/welches is used when asking about a specific choice among several options. Unlike “wer” and “was,” which ask open questions, “welcher” asks “which one?” and implies there are multiple possibilities to choose from.
Context: There are several cakes on the table.
Welchen Kuchen möchtest du? (with noun – interrogative article)
Which cake would you like?
Welchen möchtest du? (without noun – interrogative pronoun)
Which one would you like?
Context: Multiple books are available.
Welches Buch hast du gelesen?
Which book did you read?
Welches hast du gelesen?
Which one did you read?
Welcher declines exactly like the definite article (der, die, das) and must match the gender, number, and case of the noun it refers to.
The expression was für ein asks “what kind of?” or “what type of?” It’s used when we want to know the characteristics, quality, or type of something, not specifically which one from a group.
Was für einen Film magst du?
What kind of movie do you like?
asking about type/genre
Welchen Film magst du?
Which movie do you like?
asking about specific choice
With noun (interrogative article):
Was für ein Auto fährst du?
What kind of car do you drive?
Without noun (interrogative pronoun):
Was für eins fährst du?
What kind (of one) do you drive?
The ein part of “was für ein” declines like the indefinite article (ein, eine, ein) according to gender and case. The was für part stays the same.
1. Wer, wen, wem – für Personen
The interrogative pronouns wer, wen, and wem can refer to both male and female persons. They don’t distinguish between genders – the form you use depends only on the grammatical case required by the sentence structure.
2. Was – für Sachen
The interrogative pronoun was is exclusively used for things, objects, concepts, and abstract ideas. It cannot be used for people. When asking about things, “was” stays the same in Nominativ and Akkusativ.
3. Deklination von welcher/welche/welches
The interrogative pronoun welcher/welche/welches follows the exact same declension pattern as the definite article (der, die, das). This makes it easier to remember – if you know how to decline “der,” you automatically know how to decline “welcher.”
4. Deklination von was für ein/eine/ein
In the expression was für ein, only the “ein” part changes according to gender, number, and case. The “was für” remains constant. The “ein” declines exactly like the indefinite article.
It’s important to understand the difference between interrogative articles and interrogative pronouns. Both use the same words, but they function differently in sentences.
Welchen Apfel möchtest du?
Which apple would you like?
“welchen” comes before the noun
Was für einen Kaffee trinkst du?
What kind of coffee do you drink?
Welchen möchtest du?
Which one would you like?
“welchen” stands alone (no noun)
Was für einen trinkst du?
What kind (of one) do you drink?
When the interrogative word appears with a noun, it functions as an article. When it appears alone (replacing the noun completely), it functions as a pronoun.
Im Restaurant (At the restaurant):
A: Was möchten Sie trinken?
What would you like to drink?
B: Ich nehme einen Kaffee.
A: Welchen nehmen Sie? Espresso oder Cappuccino?
Which one are you having? Espresso or cappuccino?
Im Geschäft (At the store):
A: Was für eine Jacke suchst du?
What kind of jacket are you looking for?
B: Eine warme Winterjacke.
A: Welche gefällt dir besser? Die blaue oder die schwarze?
Which one do you like better?
Alltägliche Fragen (Everyday questions):
Wen hast du gestern getroffen? — Whom did you meet yesterday?
Wem hilfst du bei der Hausaufgabe? — Whom are you helping with homework?
Was machst du am Wochenende? — What are you doing on the weekend?
Was für ein Auto hat deine Familie? — What kind of car does your family have?
'Wer' (who) is used in the Nominativ case to ask about the subject of a sentence: 'Wer kommt?' (Who is coming?). 'Wen' (whom) is the Akkusativ form and asks about the direct object: 'Wen rufst du an?' (Whom are you calling?). 'Wem' is the Dativ form and asks about the indirect object: 'Wem gibst du das Geschenk?' (To whom are you giving the present?). All three refer exclusively to people.
'Welcher/welche/welches' (which one) asks for a specific choice from a known group: 'Welchen Kuchen möchtest du?' (Which cake would you like?). 'Was für ein' (what kind of) asks about the type or characteristics of something: 'Was für einen Kuchen magst du?' (What kind of cake do you like?). Both can function as pronouns (without a noun) or as articles (before a noun).
The Dativ form of 'was' is extremely rare in modern German. When asking about things in the Dativ, German typically uses prepositions with 'was' or restructures the sentence. For example, instead of a Dativ form of 'was', you would say 'Womit fährst du?' (What are you travelling with?) using a 'wo-compound'.