Introduction to Interrogativartikel
Interrogativartikel, or interrogative articles, are used to ask questions about nouns in German. The main interrogative articles are welcher (which) and was für ein (what kind of). These articles change according to gender and case (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ).
Using "Welcher" in Different Cases
Welcher is used to ask "which" and varies according to the gender and case of the noun it describes.
| Gender |
Nominativ |
Akkusativ |
Dativ |
| Masculine |
welcher |
welchen |
welchem |
| Feminine |
welche |
welche |
welcher |
| Neuter |
welches |
welches |
welchem |
| Plural |
welche |
welche |
welchen |
Examples of Questions Using "Welcher"
- Welcher Film gefällt dir? (Which movie do you like?)
- Welche Farbe magst du? (Which color do you like?)
- Welches Buch liest du? (Which book are you reading?)
- Welchen Kuchen möchtest du? (Which cake would you like?)
- Mit welchem Freund gehst du ins Kino? (With which friend are you going to the cinema?)
Using "Was für ein" for Asking "What Kind of"
Was für ein is used to ask "what kind of" in German. This form does not vary with gender or case as much, but adapts to the gender and number of the noun.
- Was für ein Auto fährst du? (What kind of car do you drive?)
- Was für eine Musik hörst du? (What kind of music do you listen to?)
- Was für Bücher liest du gern? (What kind of books do you like to read?)